This week in Advent we light the fourth and final candle, the candle of love. But we forget that there are four types of love. The love that is mentioned everyone thinks as amorous love. But in fact, the readings used for this Sunday in all three cycles, either draw us to the love of … Read more
This Sunday we get a chance to rejoice before the coming of Christmas. We don our rose vestments, light the rose candle, and sing songs of rejoicing as we near the end of our long wait for the Christ-Child. However, throughout this time of preparation for Christmas I have heard so much complaining about so … Read more
This Sunday we read an important set of readings about what it means to truly be Christian. So many people proclaim that they are Christians, yet they lack the actually fruit of the Gospel in their lives. They promote themselves as the sole purveyor of “truth” and the only spokesperson of God. Sadly, they rarely … Read more
As I sit here and write this blog (late I know) I am struck by the readings this Sunday. In Wisdom, we read about the great mercy of God. The mercy is so great that God overlooks the sins of humanity so that He may love them into repentance. Do not abuse them or hate … Read more
There are times where I am thankful that we are on a set lectionary. The readings never fail to shine a light on what we go through day to day in our mundane life. But it easy to forget that even though the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, it was a committee of theologians that … Read more
This week’s Gospel and readings center on the idea of thankfulness and gratitude. In my 24 years of ministry, I have never experienced a time where there is less gratitude or thankfulness in our world. So many people look for the fault in others, the things they can complain about, and the opportunities to pick … Read more
The past few weeks have been exhausting. Going back to college at my age was a feat in itself, but managing a parish, diocese, national church, magazine, and family has been a struggle. And so often in ministry we find ourselves alone working to help those most in need. Even worse, those who claim to … Read more
This weeks Gospel gives us a parable that asks us an important question. Who is cherished in our community. For far too long we have looked at false pretenses of honor to celebrities and notable figures. But Jesus paints a clear picture the one who is deserving of honor is the one who gives back … Read more
Speaking truth to power is hard. Doing what is right is hard. We are told to stick to our guns and push back the hands of oppression and deceit. As Christians, we are also taught that we need to be a home for all people. Yet, when we spread our message of love and acceptance, we … Read more
Today I received a phone call from a very disgruntled Roman Catholic who proceeded to make me aware that I was a horrible Bishop for calling out his bigotry, misogyny, and abuse of other people. I admit, I was not as charitable as I should have been, but my humanity took over as I worked … Read more