Dear Friends, Easter begins in darkness: the darkness of a pre-dawn morning as women walk through sleeping city streets to the tomb of their beloved rabbi. Grief-stricken and shocked, they are unaware of the glorious sunrise that awaits them, when they discover the empty tomb and hear the news that Christ is Risen. There’s a […]
As I write, the US Capitol is on lockdown, Vice President Pence has been rushed from the Senate floor to safety, Capitol buildings have been evacuated, and protesters have breached police barricades at the Capitol. These violent threats to the peaceful transition of power threaten the peace and security of our nation, as well as […]
Sign the Anti-Racism Covenant- Click Here Bishop Susan Brown Snook invites you to join her in signing an anti-racism covenant to work toward racial justice and reconciliation. This covenant was created by a group of bishops, including Bishop Susan, from across The Episcopal Church. Click Here for Spanish Translation “Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their […]
Dear Friends in Christ, I am writing to you with regret to ask you once more to suspend in-person worship at our churches during the month of July. This decision does not come without significant prayer, discussion, and deep thought. As you may know, the governor of California today instituted broad restrictions on in-person […]
As people of faith, we believe that all people were created in the image of God and are beloved by God. Christian tradition, following Jewish tradition before it, tells us that God particularly cares for those who are oppressed. In Luke’s gospel, Jesus’ mother Mary sings about what God is doing in Jesus when she […]
I deeply appreciate the hard work congregations are doing to plan for restarting in-person worship. I have said previously that in-person worship may begin on June 21, but congregations may start later than June 21 if that is appropriate for their context. In making this determination, task forces should consider their physical context, the age […]
Crises expose divisions. This has never been clearer than in the current moment: the pandemic has disproportionately affected people of color and people living in poverty. “Essential” workers are seen as expendable, receiving low pay and risky working conditions, while they work to ensure that others can live. Our country is mired in disagreements of […]
Alleluia! Christ is Risen! In our current pandemic situation, we are learning new ways to proclaim this great truth of our faith. Jesus Christ is risen, and we have good news of eternal and abundant life in Christ to proclaim. In our church, that mission has not changed. Our ways of accomplishing that mission are […]
“Jesus said: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. (Luke 10:27)” From the beginning of the pandemic, our Episcopal congregations and our respective dioceses have been strengthened by prayer, study, […]
[Feast of the Annunciation 3.25.2020] This is the Annunciation Icon at Episcopal Church of the Nativity, Scottsdale. The iconographer is Laura Fisher Smith, and as the vicar of Nativity, I worked with her to commission this remarkable icon. I hoped for a depiction of Mary that would show her not as the Queen of Heaven, […]
