“If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” —John 4:10 In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, we are going to read about Jesus’s interaction with a Samaritan woman. Mother Nina will preach on who the Samaritan woman was, and how Jesus knew her. But what is he talking about when he offers her “living water”? In the ancient world, the term “living water” could simply refer to running water,...

Next week, we will celebrate Thanksgiving, a season in which we take extra time to think about what it is we are grateful for. And as Christians, we especially acknowledge that everything we have—our families, our friends, the food we eat, the houses we live in—is a gift from God, our generous and bountiful Creator. And so we practice gratitude.  One thing I have always found paradoxical about gratitude, however, is how it points us toward generosity. When we recognize that everything is a...

Last Friday and Saturday, I joined Mother Nina, Father Isaiah, our St. Bart’s delegates, and six of our youth in attending Diocesan Convention at St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church. We had a great time seeing friends, meeting new people, and hearing about all the incredible things that are happening. As I sat in the pews, I was struck by the energy in the room—the Spirit is working in our diocese! Over the past couple of decades, the Church has faced significant challenges all around the world....