As our rummage sale  enters its first day with the jewelry sale this evening ( 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the library) I’m struck by the proximity it has with our food cupboard and community fridge, and how all three engage mutuality in our wider community.  What I love about these outreaches is that they make a way for people both to give and to receive at the same time. On more than one occasion, I have heard from people who have received support from St Peter’s or the Community F

HONORING RICK DEKALB AND TERITA REEVE, THE LEADERS OF THE ST PETER’S FOOD CUPBOARD MINISTRY WHEREAS , food insecurity is a critical challenge affecting individuals and families in our community, and access to nutritious food is a fundamental human need; and WHEREAS , the  Food Cupboard  was established to address this need, providing not only sustenance but also hope, dignity, and compassion to our neighbors in need; and WHEREAS , the leaders of the  Food Cupboard  have demon

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary pure and holy, tried and true With thanksgiving I’ll be a living sanctuary for you. That song was going through my head this afternoon as I tromped around the Edge Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, just down Pleasant Avenue from St. Peter’s. I’ve been visiting it of late as part of a commitment to take more walks in the middle of the day. If you haven’t been, it’s a lovely little hike up a modest climb and back down – about 20 minutes in all if you s

As part of our parish’s ongoing commitment to hospitality, dignity, and care for all who enter our doors, we are formally launching our Menstrual Care Items Ministry . You may notice that each of our church bathrooms contains a clearly labeled box marked “Menstrual Care Items.” Because our bathrooms are gender neutral, we intentionally chose language that is inclusive and respectful of all who may menstruate. In doing so, we seek to reflect the wide embrace of Christ’s love a

We are asked to do a number of difficult things during Lent and Holy Week. Fasting can be uncomfortable. Lenten practices can be hard to remember or do consistently. The stories themselves are painful and challenging. But I think that for most people, the most difficult practice of Holy Week is the foot washing that happens during tonight’s Maundy Thursday service.  On this night, we tell the story of the last supper and the institution of the Eucharist. It’s the last time we

As we enter the sacred story of the Passion of Christ next week, try to make some time either personally or communally to place yourself with Jesus on his walk to the cross. Here are things to do every day of the week to enter the story. Read about it.   The Last Week: A Day by Day Account of Jesus’ Final Week in Jerusalem  is a thought-provoking and readable treatment of the historical Jesus’ journey to the cross, told by Scripture scholars Marcus Borg and John Dominic Cross

On Wednesdays in Lent the Montgomery County Episcopal Deanery, of which St. Peter’s is a member, has been holding a Wednesday night program featuring a simple meal and a program reflecting on one of the scriptures that are heard at the Easter Vigil. Titled For Such a Time as This, Stories that Strengthen us for the Work at Hand,  the program is led and the soup provided by a different parish each week. The programs are held at the Church of the Messiah, 1001 DeKalb Pike in Lo

This week, we got a little taste of Spring as temperatures soared, and people walked about in shorts, t-shirts, and light jackets. The breeze felt like a balm on my bare legs. The patch of snow that filled our staff parking spaces finally receded to nothing. Of course, by the time you read this, we will be back to the customary temperatures of mid-winter. But it was nice to be reminded of what lies ahead. Coincidentally, our Lenten calendar is doing the same thing. This Sunda

During our Wednesday morning Eucharist, we often dedicate the reflection time to learning about the saint whose feast or remembrance is appointed for that day. Yesterday the Revised Common Lectionary Lesson Calendar directed us to remember Emily Malbone Morgan. Her feast day is also listed in Holy Men and Holy Women as today. Morgan’s particular charism was organizing women to pray for one another. So, it’s apt to consider what she might be saying to us at this time. Morgan,

This is the story of how I tempted the devil. It is true. When I was about 5 years old I was swinging on my swing set in the backyard and thinking about things, like you do when you’re 5. And I got to thinking about the devil. I wondered if perhaps the devil was so bad because no one had ever invited him to be good. Well I decided right then and there to have a talk with the devil. How does one begin a conversation with the devil? “Dear devil,” I said. “Why don’t you try bein

A message to our fellow Americans We, the undersigned bishops of The Episcopal Church, write today out of grief, righteous anger, and steadfast hope. What happened a week ago in Minnesota and is happening in communities across the country runs counter to God’s vision of justice and peace. This crisis is about more than one city or state—it’s about who we are as a nation. The question before us is simple and urgent: Whose dignity matters? In the wake of the tragic deaths of tw

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave. (Rev 1:17-18) My Siblings in Christ, Over the last few weeks, we have been left heartbroken by what is occurring in Minneapolis, our country, and the continued pain suffered by God’s children. I plan to write, expand, and cal

As you know, I am not one who issues statements based on every news item that crosses the wire. However, as a Bishop and more importantly a follower of Jesus Christ, I was repulsed and sickened by the meme that was on the President’s feed depicting two children of God who served this nation as apes. It is a sin against the Lord. This is not just politics or someone being themselves. It is an affront to Christ. Either you apologize, Mr. President, or you resign. If that doesn

Lent starts next week with Ash Wednesday. ( See the Lent page for times and details .) Personally, I like that this holy season gives us six weeks to sink into the practices that prepare us for Easter. That’s much different than Advent, where we’re wrestling with Christmas the entire time and have only four weeks to play with. Lent gives us breathing room, and its practices are reflective, tangible and self-giving. Ash Wednesday gets us on the right foot, with its grit and gr

In my Rector’s note a few weeks ago, I quoted the Rt. Rev. Rob Hirschfeld’s call for clergy to be prepared to lay down their lives in order to “stand between the powers of this world and the most vulnerable.” Since then, hundreds of bishops have provided their own guidance on how to take direct action to protect people under threat of ICE arrest and detention. Last Saturday, 154 bishops, including our own Rt. Rev. Daniel Gutiérrez, released a letter calling for “people of fa

Who is my neighbor? That biblical question is resonating with me as I shovel snow, watch the news, and pack leftovers for the community fridge. It’s the question that prompted Jesus to tell the story of the Good Samaritan, a title we now give any helpful person. Who is my neighbor? The one who helps you when the formal helpers walk by; it might even be the person everyone told you was your enemy. Snowstorms are a particular measure of neighbor-hood. As Jess and I walked our d

Just as the dust settles on the Christmas and New Year holidays, our parish Annual Meeting is upon us. Our parish bylaws set the date as the last Sunday in January, with an allowance for the first Sunday in February if we get snowed out. This weekend we are invoking that flexibility as we anticipate record snow, leading us to not only move the Annual Meeting but to cancel in-person services and move to online Morning Prayer this Sunday. That gives us all a little more time to

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