Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ was lifted high upon the cross that he might draw the whole world to himself: Mercifully grant that we, who glory in the mystery of our redemption, may have grace to take up our cross and follow him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. On this day in the church year, we celebrate the Cross as a symbol of salvation, victory over death and the promise of life eternal. The Colle

"Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good..." Genesis 50. 15 - 21 We come to the end of the saga of Joseph and his brothers in today's Genesis reading, and the brothers are terrified now that their father has died. They fear that Joseph's wrath might now be unleashed, and he will seek vengeance for the unspeakable things they did to him. They come to Joseph begging forgiveness and even say that Jacob their father told them to tell Joseph to forgiv

When times get crazy, and it seems as though whatever can go wrong does go wrong, and your worry factor runs amuck, it is a lovely treat to come upon wise words like these...especially when you don't have to look for them, but they just pop up on your screen. Dear Wendell Berry, whose words have soothed us all for such a long long time, rests in peace now with a quiet heart and a clear eye I am certain, having found that place where forever "what we need is here."

“I take literally the statement in the Gospel of John that God loves the world. I believe that the world was created and approved by love, that it subsists, coheres, and endures by love, and that, insofar as it is redeemable, it can be redeemed only by love. I believe that divine love, incarnate and indwelling in the world, summons the world always toward wholeness, which ultimately is reconciliation and atonement with God.” Wendell Berry In Paul's 1st letter to the people o

"For a tree has hope: though cut down, it can still be removed, and its shoots will not cease. Though its root grow old in the ground and its stock die in the dust, from the scent of water it flowers, and puts forth branches like a sapling. But a strong man dies defeated, man breathes his last, and where is he?" Job 14. 6 - 10 The Hebrew Bible, Robert Alter As I read the lesson from Job appointed for today, I noticed "again for the first time" the conviction with which Job

The word “person” is derived from the ancient Greek term persona, which referred to the masks actors wore to represent certain humans, animals, or gods. In our daily lives, we habitually put on our own personas to suit particular situations. But unlike the actors and audience in ancient Greece who knew these were masks to be removed after the performance, we often get identified with our personas. We might routinely present the knowledgeable, capable mask or the anxious, inse

Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us... an example of godly life... Walking in the pouring rain with two large Golden Retrievers can be testy, especially with a cell phone and no pockets. But in my part of the world, the rain comes and goes quickly, and I was sure it would go as quickly as it had come. But not this morning. After 30 minutes of walking in it, I needed a break and popped into a friends porch, hoping it would pass. But when her dog started ba

He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” Matthew 15. 21 - 28 The gospel passage appointed for yesterday tells a confusing story about Jesus's treatment of a Canaanite woman who begs Jesus to heal her daughter. It is not fair to throw the children's foo

On this day in the Episcopal church, we remember Jonathan Myrick Daniels, seminarian and martyr, who shielded Ruby Sales in Selma, Alabama in 1965 from an assassin and was killed instantly by the 12-gauge blast. Of his time in Selma prior to his murder, Daniels said, "I began to know in my bones and sinews that I had been truly baptized into the Lord's death and resurrection with them, the black men and white men, with all life, in him whose Name is above all names that th

"Her love for Christ, her share in the vision of St. Francis and her extraordinary gifts a soul-guide, friend, and leader made her a shining light and a clear mirror of Christ for thousands in her lifetime and still a light and inspiration to Christians from many denominations today." Malcolm Guite In the depths of covid, on a zoom screen six years ago, I met my St. Clare friend. We had no friends in common, only a love for the written word and a love of nature. She lived on