The Trinity: It’s All About Community

A famous icon of the Trinity is drawn to depict three figures gathered at table with the viewer as the fourth. At the heart of the doctrine of the Trinity is the conviction that God's essence includes community, it seems to suggest. On Sunday we will mark Trinity...

I Have Decided to Follow Jesus

At its inception, the Christian Church was viewed by the Roman Empire as a sect within Judaism and was thereby protected from Roman persecution. Two historical events united to dissolve Christian protection from Rome: the Bar Kockba revolt in Jerusalem which...

Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child…a Long Way from Home

These are the opening lyrics of a nineteenth century lament of a young enslaved child being sold away from his or her mother to a white person as property. The rendition by Odetta is particularly haunting; you can listen here:...

Growth Surprises

It seems so often that when we think about growth--spiritual, emotional, physical--we assume that we need to have a 9-step "refuse to lose" mentality. We set the goal; we determine the plan; we work the plan. Control and results are completely up to...

Remember How We….

I am taking a memory enhancement course offered by Amazing Place, a non-profit ministry partner of ours whose mission is to care for folks with dementia and their families, along with a parishioner at St. Stephen's. The class is designed for people "north of...

Death and Resurrection: the Heart of our Faith

This week in the school chapel services, we focused on the power of darkness and light, death and resurrection which seemed fitting for the first week of Easter. I asked the children to talk about their experience of the dark and death. Little did I realize that two...

Cocks crowing and Other Signs

Last week I awoke at 3:00 a.m. to what I thought was a child crying in distress. Always a mother, I roused myself from a sound sleep to ensure that I wasn’t dreaming and that I would be ready to respond. I listened again. A soprano like moan that...

Life in the Garden is Brutal

This weekend we begin the Holy Week journey to Jerusalem where Jesus will eat Passover, be crucified, die, be buried and be raised. There is so much drama in the Passion Narrative—love, betrayal, fear, abandonment, grief, anger, pride, doubt, violence, injustice. As I...

The Cure for Loneliness

Loneliness is on the rise in the United States. A recent study by the insurance company, Cigna, found that 3 in 5 Americans report being lonely--feeling left out, misunderstood, lacking companionship. Loneliness is linked to anxiety, depression, heart disease, and...

What Prevents You from Starting Over or Beginning Again?

This was the question posed yesterday in the excellent Lenten meditation cards created by Sanctifedart which St. Stephen's has shared for home observance. Each day of Lent a question is posed for reflection and a prayer is offered in relation to the theme. This...

Our Blog