Beloved, We often say we are human beings having spiritual experiences. But are we? The Jesuit priest and theologian Pierre Teilhard de Chardin suggested something deeper: that we are spiritual beings having a human experience. Our true nature, he believed, is eternal — temporarily inhabiting this earthly life. Lately, I have been reflecting on this […]
Beloved, “Do you see an empty spot next to mine?” (Pause) “You can take that spot, if you want.” It was the most touching way anyone has ever proposed to me. Six years before I started serving at St. Paul’s, I took a long drive to Henderson, Kentucky, with then-seminarian Fr. Roger. It took about […]
Wherever we are, this is how we love God and God’s People Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to thee, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly thine, utterly dedicated unto thee; and then use us, we pray thee, as thou wilt, and […]
Beloved, Let us not look back with nostalgia, nor ahead with fear, but around with awareness. I learned this blessing years ago from Fr. Ralph Carskeddon, an old friend and mentor, when he was serving as interim dean of St. Mark’s Cathedral in Seattle, where I worshipped weekly before going off to seminary. I can […]
November, 2025 Beloved, November is a month full of holy disorientation. As the air cools and the trees shed their leaves, the church too approaches the end of its liturgical year – a season when endings and beginnings overlap. I invite you to take a couple of deep breaths and pause for a moment to […]
October 2025 Beloved, Good caregivers are often terrible at being on the receiving end. Have you noticed this? Throughout my ministry, I have seen caregivers pour themselves out for others while often neglecting their own well-being. If you’ve ever said, “Oh, I’m fine, I’ve got this,” or if someone has suggested you take time off, […]
September, 2025 Beloved, None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We got here because somebody – a parent, a teacher, an Ivy League crony or a few nuns – bent down and helped us pick up our boots.” I recently quoted this statement from Thurgood Marshall when […]
Beloved, It’s a special month for you and me because August 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. I have said it many times that there is no way you and I could have come together to break bread, like we enjoy it today, 80 years ago when we were […]
Beloved, Come as you are; you can change inside. I hope you have noticed our church sign by now, after it has been there for a few years. Fr. Roger and Beau used to change the message regularly, but I have been too lazy to change it. I prayed for a church-sign fairy to appear […]
Beloved, May was a busy month of transition. As Mrs. Erin called each child by their name at the graduation, the student walked up to the front, gave the teacher a big hug, received a beautiful, handmade prayer blanket —a symbol of God’s love, and stood still by themselves in front of everyone with a […]