A few weeks before Christmas, I was overwhelmed by the functional ministry of our church. This led me to work extra hours, sleep poorly, and be a little grumpy. I cried out to God, Help me. Immediately I recalled an image of the holy family by artist Janet McKenzie. I went into my office and...
Dear Friends, I hope this newsletter finds you and those you love and pray for in good health and spirits. Over the past few weeks, we have heard testimonies of people’s love for St. Bart’s and their yearning to know a God who loves them and their families. Were you not inspired by...
It is with both sadness and joy that we announce the closing of the St. Bartholomew’s Thrift Shop at the end of February 2020. Since we were informed that leases in the shopping center would not be renewed, our thrift shop team, including Sumner Rollings, Liz Angus, Carla Morrisey, and...
Dear Friends, I hope this newsletter finds you and those you pray for in good health and spirits. I want to invite you to give thanks to God when you wake up and before bedtime, each and every day. And see how your heart, mind, and life are changed. We know that the source of all love is God...
As you may know, I have just returned from my sabbatical/clergy renewal time. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to let go, invest in my family, discover our ancestral roots, and immerse ourselves in cultural exchange—it was the experience of a lifetime. I’ll be sharing...
Today I walked by Milldam Nursery School in Concord, Massachusetts, where there is a small strip of grass that runs under the windows and along the foundation of the classrooms. As a child, after school on Tuesdays, which was a half day for me, I walked to Milldam, where my mom worked. You would...
Why is it called a sacrament? I woke this morning to darkness. As I began to stretch, I called my family to check in before their bedtime back in San Diego. While we were speaking, dawn started to break, drawing me outside. As I stood on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, full day arrived as the...
Sabbath Day…The Living Stones carry on, despite the odds We gathered together this morning to attend the English-Arab worship service at St. George’s Cathedral. If you have joined St. Bart’s in the past three years or so, you may not know that this is where the late Bishop...
Prayer … Hope I pray often, and today I have spent some serious time in prayer. Oddly enough, as a priest, I shy away at times from inviting people to pray. Indeed, on our second day on pilgrimage, it was requested that we take time to pray/sing together at some of the sites. Before...
“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). We have quickly formed a strong, joyful bond. A group of pilgrims with an array of life experiences and socioeconomic backgrounds, we have discovered big hearts in each other. A heart of compassion and courage is...