Ash Wednesday Meditation – Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
My favorite uncle, who was also my godfather, rarely to my knowledge attended church and certainly never let pious speech interfere with his sometimes profane but always affectionate humor. I just knew him as jovial and loving within our family circle. After his death, however, I learned about his quiet generosity. Our family priest mentioned […]
The Cross and the Arts – a message from the rector
Sometimes I’m glad to be an Episcopalian… Wait… That sounded grudging… Let me try again… Nearly all the time I’m glad to be an Episcopalian… There… That sounds better. Today I’m happy with my choice of church for this reason – our tradition likes art. Think about that. Music? Love it. Poetry? You bet. Dancing? […]
Glad He’s on Our Side – a message from the rector
“I’m glad he’s on our side and not theirs. With him we may have a chance of winning. Now I feel confident about our chances. We will avoid humiliation; hey, we may even be champions with him on our side.” I’m sure you’ve said this sort of thing when talking about sports with a friend. […]
Jane Austin and AI Alice – a message from the rector
Want to know my favorite thing to come out of the Digital Revolution? Audiobooks. That’s what. I wish they’d been around when I was a kid. I found reading very hard when I was young. Actually, the reading itself wasn’t that difficult, it was finding the discipline to do it that I found so challenging. […]
Gone but Not Forgotten – a message from the rector
If you caught Mark’s sermon last Sunday you will have had your curiosity poked by a reference he made to a pair of speakers we enjoyed at the Diocesan Convention. They were Jim Davis and Michael Graham, two church leaders from Orlando, who recently undertook a groundbreaking study into who is leaving the American Church […]
‘Go Ahead to Galilee’ – The 194th Convention of the Diocese of Alabama
194 years! That’s a long time. How amazing, then, that there have only been 12 diocesan bishops. The truth is obvious – if you want to live a long and happy life, become the Bishop of Alabama. Actually, our Diocese is a happy and healthy place, and last weekend’s Convention in Decatur proved it. The […]
Bishop Glenda Approves Mawande for Ordination to the Diaconate
I’m thrilled to tell you that, after a long process of discernment, Bishop Glenda has admitted Mawande Mzongwana into ‘Candidacy for Holy Orders’. Mawande will be ordained a deacon very soon and will serve at St John’s for the remainder of the year. During this time she will continue her work at the EJI, and […]
The Anxious Generation – a message from the rector
I’m glad my kids are grown. Seriously. When I raised them we had no smartphones. We didn’t even have a PC until they were in primary school. In those days AOL provided our Internet at devastatingly low speeds. Those were the good old days – when it took five minutes to download a single grainy […]
Welcome Mark Waldo!
Good News, Everyone! You know how St. John’s has had only one clergyperson since Deonna Neal left for Colorado Springs last May? You know how we’ve suffered without the dynamism and richness that comes from a team of clergy (instead of a one-priest-band)? You know how when I’m on vacation we need to import a […]
I Read a Book by an Atheist (and I Liked It) – a message from the rector
I’ve been reading a book by an atheist. I won’t tell you his name or the title of the book because I don’t want to distract you from that first sentence. Let it sink in. I read a book by an atheist. It’s important to read the opinions of people you don’t agree with. One […]