Long before I became an Episcopalian or had thoughts of being a priest who might be tasked with preaching, I was a preschool teacher. And while there are many surprising things that overlap between being in ministry and the daily care and education of four and five-year-olds, one of the surprising overlaps is the wayContinue reading “The Task of Advent”
Tag Archives: God
Warning! The Beginning is Near!
We stood side by side in silence at the bottom of the massive steps. It was at the end of a long journey: only a few days on the calendar, but months in planning and years in prayer. My friend, Whit, who co-led our Diocese Pilgrimage to Montgomery and Selma with me last month,Continue reading “Warning! The Beginning is Near!”
Messy, Imperfect, Abundant Love
When I lived in Abilene, Texas, I was deeply involved in the local interfaith group. Which, in northwest Texas, as you may imagine, was largely just many different varieties of Christian traditions and a handful of other religions. At the time, I was in seminary, but was a new Episcopalian the plan was forContinue reading “Messy, Imperfect, Abundant Love”
Prism of Hope and Mercy
By now, many of you know that before I went to seminary to become a priest, I was a preschool teacher, and I will never stop being surprised at the ways in which the skills from that work have enriched my vocation as a priest. Everything from storytelling to getting the attention of aContinue reading “Prism of Hope and Mercy”
God’s Care and Provision
It happened with such regularity that by the 3rd or 4th grade, both my parents and I planned on it. I was such an anxious and shy child that every first day of school, from kindergarten to my first day of classes in college, I went home, my body and mind so tangled with anxious,Continue reading “God’s Care and Provision”
Do Good and Share What You Have
This week as I prepared to get my hair cut for the first time since moving to Lexington, I braced for the task that many introverts fear: the haircut small talk. But in my forty-something years of life, I’ve chosen to lean into what makes me me, and I don’t tend to spend much timeContinue reading “Do Good and Share What You Have”
Running Toward Hope Together
My paternal grandmother had this habit; having grown up in the foothills that rolled off the Appalachian Mountains in East Tennessee, she was barely educated. When I went off to college, my folks had a bit of advice, as parents are known to do. Their advice was to write my grandmother hand-written notes. I pickedContinue reading “Running Toward Hope Together”
Praying and Trusting Like Jesus
Before I went to seminary to become a priest, I was a preschool teacher. Now, there are many surprisingly transferable skills between the two, but I think my favorite way in which my past connects with my present is how it helps me understand that we are all learning and growing and changing. I rememberContinue reading “Praying and Trusting Like Jesus”
Radical, Expansive Mercy
I walked into Ms. Ruth Ann’s funeral – my first Episcopal funeral – and it was the moment that I knew that Episcopal Church was my spiritual home. As a relatively new Episcopalian, I was surprised that the vestments and altar hangings were the same color that were used for baptisms or high holyContinue reading “Radical, Expansive Mercy”
God is At Work – Will We Join In?
One of the easiest ways in which I connect with God is through nature, and I love when I can be with those I love out in God’s beauty. One of the best things about exploring nature with others is learning that the things I love aren’t necessarily the things that others love. Stopping toContinue reading “God is At Work – Will We Join In?”
