By definition a virus infects and brings disease. You could say then, Covid-19 is an enemy! Psalm 23 has a word for us when confronted by an enemy. The poem reminds us that, “…in the presence of an enemy a table is set for us.” The presence of an enemy is not the absence of God or God’s blessing, for us, just the opposite. God does God’s best work with the faith we offer in the face of the enemy. Covid-19 is here, and its consequences will be present for…

Yes, all around us there’s anxiety. Yes, concerns are legitimate. Yes, the market is down and meetings are being cancelled all around. Yes, even how we do church is being disrupted. Yes, there’s still a lot we don’t know. What we do know is that a spirit of panic is not necessary for the facing of these days. What we do know is that God has given us reason and skill. What we do know is that now is the time to encourage, care for, and pray for one another….

“Life is not what you see, but what you’ve projected. It’s not what you’ve felt, but what you’ve decided. It’s not what you’ve experienced, but how you’ve remembered it. It’s not what you have forged, but what you’ve allowed. And it’s not who’s appeared, but who you’ve summoned. This should serve you well, beloved, until you find what you already have.” The Apostle Paul said it this way, “God will not be mocked, you reap what you sow.” Jesus said it this way, “Greater is the One in you than…

Lent is a gift, it’s 40 days where we without shame or guilt can identify, confess and abandon ideas and habits that frustrate God, injure us and our neighbors. One behavior we must abandon is the Death Penalty. We must confess that we chose ignorance, indifference or vengeance as individuals and as a state in this matter. And, we must be clear there’s no justification for Capital Punishment in the life and teaching of Jesus. None! The Episcopal Church as a whole has been opposed to Capital Punishment since 1958….

Jesus’ teachings can sound outrageous! For him, angry words are the same as murder; a lustful heart is the same as committing adultery. Divorce can be legal cover for selfishness and the practice of hiding our true selves beneath fine sounding words is empty and leads to us going wrong. The warning here is obvious; big sins and callous hearts find their beginning in our small, socially acceptable behavior. So stop and listen to your heart. Review the items you’ve laid on the altar of your heart and ask God…

When I hear Aretha Franklin sing those words, I hear God speaking to each of us: If you want my lovin’ / If you really do / Don’t be afraid baby Just ask me / Ya know I’m gonna give it to you / Oh and I do declare (I do) I wanna see you with it / Stretch out your arms little boy / You’re gonna get it / ‘Cause I love you, oh (Baby, baby, baby I love you) / There ain’t no doubt about it  / Baby…

The word Selah appears in the Bible 77 times. It’s also my third child’s name. As far as we know, it’s a musical notation. An instruction to the choir to stop and listen. But it’s more than that. It’s also stop and feel. Really consider. Like in Psalm 3:2-3: “Many say there is no help for my soul in God Selah.” We’re to stop, empathize and realize we have felt this ourselves. And, just as we stop and listen, Selah has perfectly prepared us to rejoice in the next verse,…

Paul made an appeal, that two quarreling factions of Christians would be of “…the same mind and same purpose.” That they would put Christ first. For the sake of the world and the church and so their living and faith might have integrity and be generative. Christ above partisanship. Christ first, not just a syrupy, sentimental, Sunday morning only kind of putting Christ first.  Rather, a today, at work, at home in the ways I use my breath, my social media, my time and money and how I approach division…

Jesus named Simon “Peter,” which means “rock.” But Peter looks like anything but a rock. He’s not strong like granite or shimmering like gold. Given the evidence, Jesus could have named him “cowardly,” “impetuous” or “dense.” But Jesus knows the violence we do to ourselves and others through the giving and acceptance of names. Elbowing his way into this mess comes Jesus, naming us for our future, beloved, forgiven, faithful, neighbor, friend, redeemed, generous. Maybe Jesus named Simon “rock” because he saw in him the quality that marble has, the…