Lockdown. It is the tragic and fearful state which we all experienced early on in the pandemic. Everything came to a halt. Sadly, some countries are in the midst of lockdowns again. What struck me as I considered the story of Jesus appearing to the disciples after the resurrection (John 20:19-23) is that they were in lockdown:...
Most of you are probably familiar with the military acronym AWOL, Absent Without Leave. It refers to persons who have left their posts without permission (but who have not permanently deserted.) In the midst of Lent, I want to re-purpose the same acronym. I think many of us are regularly Absent Without Leaving. In other words, we may be physically present (or at least virtually present on a phone call or video chat), but we are emotionally absent, our minds and hearts engaged somewhere else....
Have you ever felt like you are sailing in a fog? I think the pandemic alone, even without the other stresses we are experiencing nationally, makes us all feel disoriented....
I write to call for prayer for our nation and to reflect personally and Biblically on some of what we have seen....
What a traumatic and tragic week we have been through together. I am reeling from the report of the death of a Capitol police officer from the mayhem on Wednesday in Washington. I know many of you, like me, are still having trouble believing that the Capitol could have been under siege with members of Congress literally hiding in the building....
Lockdown. It is the tragic and fearful state which we all experienced early on in the pandemic. Everything came to a halt. Sadly, some countries are in the midst of lockdowns again. What struck me as I considered the story of Jesus appearing to the disciples after the resurrection (John 20:19-23) is that they were in lockdown:...
Keep ReadingMost of you are probably familiar with the military acronym AWOL, Absent Without Leave. It refers to persons who have left their posts without permission (but who have not permanently deserted.) In the midst of Lent, I want to re-purpose the same acronym. I think many of us are regularly Absent Without Leaving. In other words, we may be physically present (or at least v...
Keep ReadingHave you ever felt like you are sailing in a fog? I think the pandemic alone, even without the other stresses we are experiencing nationally, makes us all feel disoriented....
Keep ReadingI write to call for prayer for our nation and to reflect personally and Biblically on some of what we have seen....
Keep ReadingDear brothers and sisters in the diocese, I pray you are having a blessed Christmas season! In her recent version of the song "I Wish You a Merry Christmas," Victoria Monet adds this question as a final verse: Yes, I'm so done with 2020I think we've all been through plentyCan we just have a Merry ChristmasAnd a Happy New Year? Of course, the question it raises is what ...
Keep ReadingDear brothers and sisters, What a tumultuous time we are in: pandemic, racial strife, economic struggle, political turmoil, and what might be called "unsocial media" frenzy. How are we as believers in Jesus to respond? First of all, we should not be surprised by all the signs of the fallenness of the world. Instead we should be always amazed that the Lord has extended h...
Keep ReadingSo then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Romans 14:19 Dear brothers and sisters in the diocese, Greetings in the Lord Jesus who reigns over all. Sadly, the pandemic is still with us. Therefore let me briefly share a commendation, a concern and a challenge in this hard season. Commendation for Faithfulness I am very thankful to the L...
Keep ReadingDear brothers and sisters in the Diocese, One of the first choruses I learned when I was a new Christian had these words: "God is our refuge, our refuge and our strength, in trouble a very present help. Therefore, will we not fear" The words come from Psalm 46, which goes on to speak of God's faithfulness in the midst of earthquake and flood. I share these words because...
Keep ReadingDear brothers and sisters, I wanted to commend the following article on the history of churches facing past epidemics. It is by Robert "Budd" Kneip, senior warden of our cathedral, a dedicated disciple of the Lord Jesus whom I know well and deeply respect. He was both a major corporate and government leader prior to his retirement. Budd did extensive research for this ar...
Keep ReadingDear Clergy, Many of you are familiar with the book and movieThe Perfect Storm. It told the tragic story of one fishing boat lost at sea in 1991. It encountered a storm created by three converging factors: a ridge, a cold front, and the remains of Hurricane Grace. At the moment, it feels like we in this culture are facing a similar storm, a combination of a pandemic with...
Keep ReadingDear Clergy, Many of you are familiar with the book and movieThe Perfect Storm. It told the tragic story of one fishing boat lost at sea in 1991. It encountered a storm created by three converging factors: a ridge, a cold front, and the remains of Hurricane Grace. At the moment, it feels like we in this culture are facing a similar storm, a combination of a pandemic with...
Keep ReadingDear brothers and sisters in the Gulf Atlantic Diocese, What a heartbreaking season we are in. We are surrounded by death as we have passed the 100,000 mark in the COVID-19 pandemic. In the midst of that tragedy we as a nation are now struggling with the horrific death of George Floyd. Therefore I commend the thoughtful letter linked below written by some of my brother b...
Keep ReadingDear brothers and sisters, Have you ever been promised that someone would give you a present and then you had to wait for it? At his ascension, Jesus promised his disciples that ". . . not many days from now . . . you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the ea...
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