Our Mission is Growing Disciples of Jesus Christ

Living intentionally Christian lives often takes some planning or preparation. On the one hand, being intentionally Christian involves cultivating a mind and heart to love certain values and shy away from things that undermine those values.

Do you think much about the Communion of Saints? The first of November is the Feast of All Saints (giving the name to the night before: All Hallows' Eve, the eve of the feast of all who have been hallowed by God—made holy—made the saints).

The world around us tries to motivate us with fear. What can we do to form and shape our hearts and minds differently? To be free from fear and open to trust? One practical way is in the mindset and practice of Christian Stewardship.

In my previous message, I wrote about the things in our culture that we need to turn off to better form and shape our hearts and minds as Christians and to lead intentionally Christian lives. But what should we turn on? What is the positive alternative? With what should we fill our hearts and minds, and how?

What other parts of our lives need “intentionally Christian” attention? Various parts of our culture are favorite targets of blame.

A phrase that has been echoing in my head recently is “intentional Christian living.” The words “intentional” and “intentionality” have come into use in recent decades to talk about how we shape our lives.

I found myself without the words to write for my weekly message last Thursday. It was September 11, and we were remembering that day in 2001.

What do you celebrate in your life? Significant achievements? Major milestones such as graduation or marriage or the birth of a child? Do you take the time to celebrate the many blessings God gives you each day?

There is more than meets the eye in the Christian virtue of hospitality. The writer of Hebrews, in this Sunday’s lesson, begins a list of virtues first with “Let mutual love continue,” then with a call to show hospitality to strangers.

I was privileged, this past Saturday, to be present when my son, Alex, was ordained to the priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church. My father and I are priests in the Episcopal Church, and I have several cousins among the clergy as well. I am so delighted to see Alex take this step in service to the Lord.

Tomorrow is the Feast of St. Mary, the Virgin. In the Gospel reading for this feast, Mary, pregnant with Jesus, joins her cousin Elizabeth in praising God for his miracles and his mercy on the humble and lowly, undoing the injustice of the proud.

The start of school is such an exciting time—especially for young children. On the first day of kindergarten, we send our kids to school with celebration and encouragement, all prepped and equipped with backpack and excitement. We want them to love school, and we are excited to see them learn and grow. 

Our Old Testament readings last Sunday and this coming Sunday are from the Prophet Hosea. Hosea uses a metaphor of a husband’s love for an unfaithful wife to show the love of God for his unfaithful people. It’s a strange read; we’re not sure if the basis of the metaphor is a story or Hosea’s lived experience; the Hebrew poetry and references are less familiar to us, and the language moves back and forth between anguished judgment and yearning compassion.

Jesus' disciples asked him "Lord, teach us to pray." Jesus' response is what we call "The Lord's Prayer."

Sometimes church language becomes so familiar that we become inoculated against it.

Tomorrow, July 11, is the day each year when the church takes time to remember and celebrate St. Benedict of Nursia. The story of Benedict is fascinating.

I hope that you and yours are having a wonderful holiday weekend! Pray for our country on this our 249th birthday.

Summer is often a time for disconnection from work and school, and we carve out time for relaxation and reflection. In our leisure, there is still time for conversations about inflation, global politics, conflict with Iran, social issues in the US, kids, teachers, and the juggle of it all.

Today is Juneteenth, the day we remember when the news (and enforcement) of emancipation from slavery reached Texas after the Civil War, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation by President Lincoln.

This Sunday is Trinity Sunday. The Doctrine of the Trinity is often called “a mystery.” In seminary, we tried to get out of writing complex papers for our theology class by telling the professor “it’s a mystery!”