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....
In light of the recent pandemic, you might feel it is better to worship from home, or your local congregation may not be meeting temporarily. If so, we invite you to tune into one of the following churches. These parishes will be live-streaming worship services this Sunday. Please click on the links below to visit their websites for more information. If your congregation...
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...
Keep ReadingDear brothers and sisters,Greetings in our ascended Lord Jesus. One thing I have said continually is that we are in a season of adaptive change. Therefore, I ask that you extend grace to me because the following is a result of my adapting to input and concerns I am hearing from many of you. I am writing this to give each congregation permission to decide when it is best ...
Keep Reading[Nehemiah] said to them, "You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision." (Nehemiah 2:17) Dear clergy, Greetings in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday and today and forever(Hebrews 13:8). In this season of constant change, with ever changing...
Keep ReadingTo All Clergy Dear brothers and sisters, Let me begin with how I am being encouraged and challenged. I was reading the Jubilate this morning in Morning Prayer and these words came alive: Be assured that the Lord, he is God;it is he that has made us, and not we ourselves;we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.(BCP 2019 version) In the midst of a pandemic that i...
Keep ReadingDear diocesan family, We are in unprecedented and difficult times. But as I reflect on our situation in this midst of this pandemic, I find comfort in the fact that God is our refuge and strength, our help in times of trouble, and therefore we need not, indeed should not, fear (Psalm 46). As I shared with clergy earlier this week, there is a weighing of what seem like c...
Keep ReadingTo the Clergy and Wardens - Steps for Reopening Dear brothers and sisters, Greetings in the Risen Jesus who is Lord over all! We have faced the challenge together of ending public church services for this season. I want to commend you all for the prayerful and creative ways you have continued to share the gospel and pastor your flocks. In many ways, moving churches onl...
Keep ReadingDear Clergy and Wardens, Greetings in our Risen Lord this Easter season! I have been asked whether there can continue to be "drive-by" communion services. The quick answer is that the bishops only envisioned and permitted this drive-by exception for Easter as a major Christian feast, not as an on-going practice. You or your eucharistic ministers may continue to t...
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