Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. The Collect appointed for this Sunday prays that by the power of the Holy Spirit, God will enable us to "think and do always those things that are right." Likewise, the quote abov

"Honor the Sabbath and keep it holy." Exodus 20. 8 Once a week, our Discipleship Group meets to check in with each other and renew the vows we believe enable us and encourage us to become better followers of Christ, "which happens naturally when we love him." We state at the beginning of our time together that " we become better followers of Jesus by holding each other in his love and by encouraging each other to practice the disciplines he teaches." We vow to practice the

from Brave Joy: Art and Wisdom Cards by Melanie Weidner A friend introduced me to these cards, and they have brought great joy and spontaneity to my journey. The other day she pulled this one for me, and the verbiage that went with it could not have been more appropriate for me at the this stage of betwixt and between. The title of the card is "When a Seed is Enough." The explanation of the card is as follows: Intention: To trust the process. To slow down and savor. To sink

Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; * my eye is consumed with sorrow, and also my throat and my belly. Psalm 31 "When your children ask their parents in time to come, 'What do these stones mean?' then you shall let your children know, 'Israel crossed over the Jordan here on dry ground.' For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we crossed over, so t

But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty." Matthew 13. 18 - 23 Jesus' parable today metaphorizes the soil of our hearts and how well it receives the love and message of the Good News. If our hearts are shallow, the metaphorical seeds of the word of God might root but they will soon wither away because there is no nourishme

"While walking through the woods one day, I was surprised to hear a child's voice. I followed the sound, trying in vain to understand the child's words. When I spotted a boy perched on a rock, I realized why his words had made no sense: he was repeating the alphabet. 'Why are you saying your ABCs so many times?' I asked him. The child replied, 'I'm saying my prayers?' I couldn't help but laugh. "Prayers? All I hear is the alphabet.' Patiently the child explained, 'Well, I don

“God is Love and those who abide in love abide in God” 1John 4.7-16 My eight year old grandson and I had just been to the top of the Eiffel Tower, a dream of a lifetime for us both. We climbed the stairs as far as they would let us and the took the elevator the rest of the way. The 360 degree view of the rooftops of Paris was daunting, thrilling and breathtaking. Lane’s smile will stay with me for the rest of my life. The walk from our hotel took about 45 minutes, so after cl

We thank you for the whole creation, for the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life, and for the mystery of love. A General Thanksgiving BCP As I listened to the General Thanksgiving yesterday morning, the phrase “mystery of love” jumped out at me, because I have come across several reflections this week about the oddity of the Trinitarian concept...three in one, one in three and all the theological problems that go with it. The Trinity seems to be a mystery to many pe

"We need to pledge ourselves anew to the cause of Christ. We must recapture the spirit of the early church." Martin Luther King Jr. Strength to Love In his book Strength to Love, a prophetic text about the principles and practices of nonviolence, MLK jr. speaks words as relevant today as they were in 1963 when the sermons in the book were compiled. Addressing questions like: Why does God allow evil? What can we do in the face of evil in the world? How can we confront t

This article by Andrew Thayer, digital creator and member of the Episcopal Church Facebook page, explains better than any I have ever read what Pentecost means to me. I offer it to you today, though it is a bit long, as an understanding of the power of the Holy Spirit and her presence "in the beginning." I hope it touches you as it has me and that the Fire of God's Love is kindled in you in a new and different way. Pentecost is frequently described as the moment the Holy Spi