As we know, concern about the treatment of immigrants being hunted down for detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is bringing more and more people out into the streets. They are calling for justice, for the rule of law to be upheld, and they are serving as observers and witnesses. Clergy of all faith traditions have taken an active role, leading prayer and serving as observers, and promoting peaceful responses. As I mentioned in my sermon this past Sunda

After Christmas, Jess and I spent a week in Moab, Utah, visiting his sister Liz and her husband. Liz is an ecologist with the National Park Service, coordinating programs that restore and strengthen habitats and promote natural diversity in the region’s national parks. This part of the country stands in stunning contrast to the northeastern cities that I’ve called home. Where there would be streets and rowhouses and skyscrapers in my cityscape, there are riverbeds and washes,

The phishing scammers are in full force this holiday season, more aggressive than ever.  For the last two weeks I’ve been receiving a steady stream of emails and phone calls alerting me to the fact that someone using my name and title is asking parishioners for several hundred dollars worth of Target gift cards to help those in need. Those that respond get pulled into a back-and-forth email conversation that gets more demanding with each reply, ultimately being asked to send

This Sunday’s 10 am liturgy will feature our annual Advent Lessons and Carols service, in which a series of carols, anthems and scriptures tell the story of the promised messiah. That has me thinking about the holiday carols that are resonating for me this year. It’s a common topic of conversation at home as Jess and I search for songs to add to our decades-old holiday playlist and ask ourselves which songs we turn to year after year. This year I’m thinking a lot about the so

Walking our dog in the late evening is the best time to see the  clash of holiday décor that we encounter at this time of year. One house in particular still has Halloween bats dangling from branches adorned with Christmas Tree lights. Thanksgiving turkeys peek from behind fences and Christmas trees blink from the windows behind. It’s beginning to look a lot like the calendar pages have run together. With so many secular holidays bunched in a short time it can be hard to find

Thinking about serving on Vestry may be the last thing on anyone’s mind during this busy holiday season. And yet, because new Vestry members are elected at the Annual Meeting in January, we ask that you carve out some time before the end of the year to prayerfully consider Vestry service.   You may not immediately think you have the necessary “gifts” for Vestry service. However, you have significant wisdom and skills from life experience. Vestry service can be deeply rewardin

As we near our national holiday for giving thanks, it’s worth counting a few St. Peter’s blessings for which we can all be grateful. Our parish’s generous commitment to stewardship of our ministry together is at the top of my gratitude list this year. This fall’s Stewardship Pledge campaign, which culminated with In-gathering Sunday on Nov. 16, has been a source of deep thanks in response to generous giving.  By last Sunday, 50 people had pledged $136,000 toward our 2026 budg

Feeding the hungry has been a practice of the church since it’s earliest days, when Christian communities stood out for their generosity in a Roman culture that wanted little to do with people in need. Today the church continues to take its Gospel call to care for those who are food insecure very seriously, both by providing food in emergencies and advocating for governmental and social structures that protect people on the margins at all times.               The disruptions

The call came out of the blue a few weeks ago. “St. Peter’s Church, this is Rev. Barb, how may I help you?” “Oh wonderful! This is Moni McIntyre…” The Rev. Dr. Moni McIntyre! A voice from nearly two decades ago laughed into the phone. She had been poking around on the internet and saw my name and position and decided on a whim to call. She didn’t expect me to answer the phone. And I didn’t expect to hear from one of the people who were key to my becoming a priest, 18 years af

In spring of 2026, we will be celebrating the 10 th anniversary of the joining of St. Philip-in-the-Fields with St. Peter’s, Glenside. The Oreland church, which got its start as a daughter parish of St. Peter’s, closed its doors and turned its property back over to the diocese in 2016 after determining that with a shrinking congregation, the parish could not be sustained into the future. The joining of the parishes predates my arrival, but I can say that everywhere I look I

Our Worship Committee meets about six weeks before each church season begins to anticipate liturgical changes in the season, make adjustments and ensure that the various liturgical ministers are on board with what’s to come. They also bring up issues to make liturgy better, such as how to stay safe during the COVID pandemic or how to reinstitute intinction. Of late, we’ve had a few conversations about how to address the tendency to applaud after anthems and other special musi

Stewardship season is again upon us. This Sunday we will kick off our month of reflection and discernment of how we give our time, talent...

As we prepare for the feast of St. Francis this Sunday, I hope you are getting your pets ready to be blessed during the service. Sit them...

The Credo conference that I attended last week in Maryland drew clergy from all over the country to focus on how to care for our ordained...

For my end of summer reading, I’m listening to a recording of the book Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom  by the late spiritual writer...

Some churches call it Rally Day. Others have ministry fairs. Last year, we decided to call our day to kick off the program year...

If God really answers our prayers as the Scriptures promise, why is the world as messed up as it is, and why do our own faithful...

Since the end of June, the Abington Community Fridge, tucked on St. Peter’s back porch between the kitchen and the wheelchair accessible...

Joanna Macy, whose work and writing has had a profound impact on me, passed quietly from our lives a few weeks ago on July 19 at the age...

Offering care is one of St. Peter’s greatest charisms, those gifts that God places in us to share with other people. It’s reflected in...