The Third Sunday of Advent

I rode the subway early yesterday morning, and at one stop a group of young people got on with several bulky suitcases, including a hard cased one that looked like it could hold a big keyboard.  One pushed an empty wheelchair, another brought a walker, and one rolled a furniture dolly.  One young man immediately […]

Feast of St. Andrew – 100th Anniversary of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church

  Happy Anniversary, and a blessed feast of St. Andrew!  Since he started fishing some 2000 years ago, Andrew has had an abundant catch.  His name is invoked repeatedly as patron of congregations, seminaries, monastic houses, and nations.  All the plaid we’re seeing this morning is a reflection of the honor in which he’s held […]

Feast of St. Andrew – 100th Anniversary of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church

  Happy Anniversary, and a blessed feast of St. Andrew!  Since he started fishing some 2000 years ago, Andrew has had an abundant catch.  His name is invoked repeatedly as patron of congregations, seminaries, monastic houses, and nations.  All the plaid we’re seeing this morning is a reflection of the honor in which he’s held […]

150th anniversary of the church in Hawaii

These islands are frequently compared to paradise, a word that comes from Middle Eastern roots meaning “a walled garden.”  It’s one of the ancient biblical images of heaven.  That walled garden was a place of plenty – the orchard or vineyard of the Hebrew Bible, as well as a parkland where animals abound – where […]

Opening Address – Sesquicentennial

  Greetings from the whole of the Episcopal Church, and congratulations on your sesquicentennial – the whole of this church rejoices with you in marking this notable anniversary!    Your bishop has asked me to reflect on where we’re going as a church and what your particular vocation might be here in Hawai’i.  In order […]

Holy Cross

  Every year the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York celebrates St. Francis Day with an amazing service.  In many churches animals are blessed on that day, remembering Francis’ remarkable care for all parts of God’s creation – animals, plants, human beings poor and rich, even brother sun and sister moon.  I […]

Pentecost ~ Christ the King

My youngest brother is a braumeister, who opened a new pub Friday night in California.  It’s in an old West mining and logging town that was founded around 1850.  The inhabitants have been buzzing with anticipation for months, while he and his partners have remodeled a historic building, installed brewing and kitchen equipment, painted, and […]

Proper 29, Year A

Have you met any of the Occupy-ers?  That movement fascinates me.  It’s been self-organizing from the start, somewhat chaotic, and it has managed to present a fairly coherent message.  It’s certainly not all pretty, but at least in local situations, it’s been able to find effective responses to invading interests who want to foment violence […]

Tuesday in Advent 1

Church of the Ascension, Cranston, RI

I was away during the big storm two weeks ago. I heard and read reports about the preparations, the experience, and the damage. I was in touch with churchwide staff based in New York City and had a sense that while some had been displaced, and many were having commuting trouble, most were basically OK and the office building had no damage.