Listening to Creation

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the …

Answer the call, and be present, in love

Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is …

The feet of victory

From Morning Prayer: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” Isaiah 52:7 As we await, in Advent, Christ's healing touch on this world, the image of the wounded foot …

Enjoy the gift of giving to others

Congratulations. If you’re reading this, you’ve survived the Thanksgiving triple threat of undercooked turkey, indigestion and heated family table talk of impeachment. But, aside from a fridge full of leftovers, what do we take away from this holiday? The name itself seems to be a simple answer to a superfluous question. Thanksgiving. It is about …

Let Christ do the doing

Anamnesis -- A walk into the Real Presence of Christ The most rewarding part of my week usually is when I take the Eucharist to nursing home residents. A chance to pray together, to worship, reflect on Scripture and administer the Sacrament of Unction (anointing with oil) -- this service as a Lay Eucharistic Visitor …

Be the child

A first crack at the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius A couple of posts back I reflected on Luke 10:21, when Jesus praises the "Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious …

Let go, and HOLD FAST

In the Navy, particularly in days gone by, tattoos hold special meaning. Sometimes that meaning, like my uncle's giant tiger head on his chest, is simply "I had too much to drink in the Philippines." Other times the tattoos have deep meaning about service, selflessness and duty. One of the oldest is the words "HOLD …

It’s all in there… Our Baptismal Covenant calls us to action

Many of us struggle with determining how to apply our faith to the secular world. In the Episcopal Church, behind our red doors, we are very comfortable with the creeds, the liturgy and our beautiful expressions of love for God. But, outside those doors, how do we apply our love for God to the fractured …

Good Friday calls us to walk in love, humility, sacrifice

In a society that increasingly calls us to worldly power, to the temptations of empire and enterprise, today — Good Friday — calls us back to The Way, to the path of humility, peace and self-sacrificial love. We know today as the day of Christ’s atoning sacrifice. But, it also is the capstone of Christ’s …

‘ALL ABOUT CHRIST’ — Group extends grace to current, former inmates

ENID, Okla. — Each Sunday morning, 20-30 men and women gather at Grace Place, an annex of Emmanuel Enid, to have Bible study, sing contemporary worship songs and learn practical ways to apply biblical messages to everyday life. The worship service isn’t unlike many other church groups in Enid, with one exception — almost all the worshipers …