Today in the life of the church, we celebrate Remigius, Bishop of Rheims. Remigius, or Remi, was born about 438, his work as a scholar and his sanctity of life were such that he was elected bishop of Rheims at the age of 22, still a lay person. Remigius plays a central role in European [...]

Today in the life of the church we celebrate the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels, also called Michaelmas. It is a feast day in the church that has been celebrated since the middle ages, a day of celebrating the fact that humans are not the capstone of God’s creation, a day of prayers [...]

Yesterday, shortly after 3:00 PM, the House of Bishops voted to give consent to the deposition of Bishop Robert Duncan of the Diocese of Pittsburgh (see ENS story). Given the flurry of comment and the dramatic declarations by people all around the table, I think it’s probably important to remember what this deposition actually involves [...]

I had a feeling this was coming. Even so, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth, like sucking on a copper penny. The author of a right-wing publication in the Churches of Christ came across my abstract for the presentation I did in June at the Christian Scholars’ Conference. This is a 23 page paper [...]

In the name of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Today in the life of our church, and in the life of our country, we remember the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. For many people in our country, the memory of these attacks has faded to a memory, like a dimly remembered nightmare that [...]

Matthew 16:21-28 From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid [...]

Ok, so I’m kind of a sucker for tear-jerker viral videos. I loved the Free Hugs video that came out in the fall of 2006. It was powerful and inspiring. Well, this morning Bethany sent me another one. It’s terrific, go ahead and watch it, it’s not too long. Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from [...]

Last Thursday in one of our clergy group meetings, I asked what we were doing in the parish for the Feast of St. Mary the Virgin. There was much laughter among the clergy at the idea of our parish doing any sort of service for the Feast of St. Mary. I was surprised, since I [...]

Some of you know that RealLivePreacher is one of my favorite blogs. I started reading it back when I first moved to Texas and his relentlessly honest blog entries about Christianity, himself, and life as an ordained Baptist minister were at once provocative and wildly entertaining. For those who are preaching this Sunday, his retelling [...]

Tomorrow morning Bethany leaves for the weekend and it will just be Cappadocian and me at the house in Alexandria. I’ve already have one major activity planned for tomorrow night. I’ll be heading up the road into Washington, DC for the services St. Paul’s-K Street is planning for the Feast of St. Mary the Virgin. [...]

The New Testament lesson from the Office today has really stuck with me. It’s a story that many have bandied about in The Current Unpleasantness as a possible model for what the Anglican Communion should do about the controversy regarding the gifts of our GLBT brothers and sisters. The story was that of Gamaliel, [...]

I’ve got a secret. My favorite service to serve in at Christ Church is the 8:00 AM Rite I liturgy. I noticed this morning how much I enjoyed it and have been pondering it all day. I’ve written before about my love for Rite I, about how it brought me healing and told me who I [...]

Today in the life of the church, we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord. The Gospel story of the transfiguration is a story of glory. Luke certainly couches the transfiguration in those terms, in verse 31 his phrase “they appeared in glory” is unique to this text, it’s not found in the [...]

I actually wrote a different sermon for today’s 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM services (both shorter services that require a five minute sermon). But when I finished it on Friday, I had a feeling that it was no good. I e-mailed it to Bethany, who (with great kindness and charity) said, “It’s a little…wordy.” She [...]

While The Postulant is following my advice and preaching more from the Hebrew Bible (or, as he calls it, the “Old Testament”), I’m returning the favor and preaching on the Gospel this morning. BTW, blogging will return to a more constant pace in the future. I am starting to settle in more to my first [...]

Well, I’ve concluded my last shift working in the restaurant. I’ve been at this point a few times in my life, when I think I’m leaving the restaurant industry behind. I’ve been doing this for the better part of a decade, working to put myself through school with as little debt as possible. This past [...]

It’s a sunny day. Dad and I are riding in the Explorer to the other side of the lake situated in the middle of our subdivision. We get there and he backs the boat trailer slowly down the ramp into the water and then puts the vehicle in park. This part always made me nervous. [...]

By now I’m sure that many of you have read Bishop Marc’s pastoral letter responding to the recent California Supreme Court decision to allow all couples, both gay and straight, to engage in legal marriage. It was on my mind as I wrote my post a few days ago regarding Bishop Gene’s civil union. For [...]