I am often amazed when I hear that the Church, including the Episcopal Church, is in decline. Amazed, because here at St. Bart's we are growing. So, what is it that we are doing right and, well, others not so right. One of the greatest challenges the Church faces today is ministering in a...
Most parents teach their children to watch out for strangers. That's a legitimate concern, given that the world seems to be a more dangerous place than it used to be. But is that true? The world has always been a dangerous place. We just know more about that danger more quickly because of the...
Being a transplanted New Yorker, I recall that the great Yogi Berra once remarked, “If you come to a fork in the road that leads to winning take it.” Would you agree with me that if you came to a fork in the road, and one direction led to saving your life and the other to losing it...
Last month, I was invited to preach in the rector’s pulpit. I mentioned the comment Justice Clarence Thomas made in a recent interview, “there is nothing to bind us together as a nation anymore.” This month I would like to expand on that thought. David Brooks is an American...
The theme of “faith” weaves its way through all of Scripture. It was faith that led Noah to build an ark for 120 years. It was faith that caused Abraham to be willing to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice. It was the faith of a Roman Centurion who believed that if Jesus just uttered...
There was a news story, heard not long ago that I can’t shake from my mind. It was about a teen-age girl who befriended a stranger on the internet, someone allegedly her age. At first the conversations between the two were affirming, encouraging and supportive. A genuine relationship...
A Pastoral Response to The Issues of today’s Climate or Extremism “Love Your Enemies and Bless Those Who Persecute You” Matthew 5:44 A few weeks ago, I was asked by Fr. Chris to offer a Forum addressing an Introduction to Anglican and Episcopal Church history. I was thrilled...
Recently, I was chatting with a good friend who was one of my former customers and is now an executive for a systems engineering company. The company has more than 30,000 employees and its multibillion-dollar Tech Services business roughly divides evenly between North America, Europe and...
As we approach Holy Week and Easter, I am always amazed at how Jesus blazed a trail forward in his life. He showed us how to live as mortals in a divine way, connected to God, in service to those around us and how to walk humbly with God. I have been humbled to contemplate the intense devotion...
Last post I introduced how religion was changing in America. Here’s a look at some of the ways religious practice and belief have changed over the last 50 years, and the trends that may continue to evolve: It isn’t sufficient to simply build the positive case for historical...