“We are not led out of life’s dark experiences: we are led through them. But the end is the victory that is all the more real because it has really been one. Our Lord reveals Himself as One Who in our nature meets our experience, wins the victory, and presents to the Father the untainted humanity which is our worship and our prayer.” Fr. Andrew, from Christ the Companion It’s easy to get lost when there is no light. I would need multiple hands to count how many times I’ve hit

I was watering newly planted hedges this morning, and I noticed a lizard in the open grass right next to the one I was watering. After a few moments, I noticed he wasn’t moving at all. I moved on to the next hedge, hoping I was not the cause of his demise. As soon as the water stream shifted away from its reach, the lizard moved to the next hedge being watered. Though I saw this, I really didn’t anything of it, except to say I was glad it wasn’t dead. Then the lizard did it a

Even in the best of times, plans often change. No matter how much work goes into scheduling an event or vacation or gathering or anything really, there is always the chance that something can come up, forcing a shift in those plans. As all of us are experiencing now, change is the rule rather than the exception. Plans that have been laid out for months for this event or that conference or this service or that vacation, are all at best in flux and at worse cancelled. I was

“COVID-19 is reminding us that after every difficulty, there is always ease. Life is cyclical, and this is just a phase in this great cycle. We do not need to panic; this too shall pass.” Attributed to Bill Gates What the writer calls cycles, I call seasons. Seasons are something with which we Anglicans can surely identify. Our church year is made up of seasons, giving a rhythm to our daily and weekly life as the Body of Christ. Whether it’s the preparatory season of Advent

“The more I laugh The more I fill with glee The more the glee The more I'm a merrier me” Dick Van Dyke – Mary Poppins Hopefully you haven’t forgotten how to laugh. I had two unexpected moments of laughter today (neither of which will sound funny if written down, so I will spare you the details). It’s easy to forget the importance of laughter, given our current circumstances. It might even be the case that one doesn’t feel like laughing, or can’t imagine laughing. There are so

Yesterday I bumped into a church family member. After a bit of checking in, this person said to me, “I didn’t realize how much the church family was tied to my every day life. I didn’t know how much it would hurt not to see everyone.” It was a profound observation and faithful response. Our separation from each other, though temporary, brings about all sorts of different emotions and thoughts, not the least of which is the feeling of loss. Separation from family, friends, lov

We’ve all experienced it, and, my guess is that most of us are experiencing some form of it now in our own way. I know I am. For me, it’s not cabin fever in the sense of being stuck in the house all day. I’ve been blessed to be at the church most days, checking on the campus and managing the new ways we are having to do ministry. Rather, my cabin fever is more along the lines of being paralyzed... emotionally, mentally, even spiritually from time to time. It’s an exhaustion f

St. Christopher Family, Tomorrow begins our new temporary way of worship. Please join us live from St. Christopher at 10:00 a.m. for Holy Eucharist Rite II with music, children’s sermon, and regular sermon. It will be a blend of traditional hymns and contemporary music. In addition, we will be adopting some traditions of St. Augustine of Hippo in Galveston, with whom we partner in worship during this time. You can also find a simple worship bulletin that will be linked to

Three year residential seminary can be a pressure cooker. It is intimate, intentional community, where everyone knows your business. While there are times of shared joy and celebration, there are often just as many times of angst and discord. Early on in my first semester at Sewanee, there was a particular moment of disagreement in a class (what the disagreement was, I do not recall). However, I do remember my classmate’s response to the conflict. He leaned over and said, “th

Two squirrels chased each other all over our front yard yesterday. Back and forth, from tree to tree, they teased and taunted each other with what seemed to be a never-ending supply of energy and fervor. As I watched them play their game of tag, it dawned on me that these two creatures of God are completely oblivious to the goings on of the world. Their greatest concern was seemingly to get the best of their opponent. I’m not too proud to say that in that moment, I was jealou