Friday, December 20, 2019
This is Beloved Community: justice, kindness, and mercy for all. Special concern for the most vulnerable and alienated. All our energy devoted to growing one another into the fullness of God, with not a moment wasted on evil. This is an incredible vision, and one most...
Thursday, December 19, 2019
In the Cathedral Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Johannesburg, South Africa, these words to Zerubbabel line the rood screen between the nave and one of the transept chapels. I don’t know how long the words have been painted there, but the cathedral’s construction was...
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
The world is geared to morning people. Ask any of us night owls, and we’ll tell you all about it. I try to do a little centering prayer each morning, holding the day’s concerns in light of a particular line of scripture. But ultimately, most naturally, I take my cue...
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
O God, you have caused this holy night to shine with the brightness of the true Light: Grant that we, who have known the mystery of that Light on earth, may also enjoy him perfectly in heaven; where with you and the Holy Spirit he lives and reigns, one God, in glory...
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
When we read today’s lesson from Revelation, I hope we understand that the word to the church in Laodicea is actually a word meant for all God’s people: “I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you.” In...
Monday, December 16, 2019
by the Rev. Fred Devall, Rector, St. Martin’s, Metairie December has always been my favorite month in Louisiana. The sasanquas and camellias come into bloom, while the cypress needles transform to a beautiful hue of orange/brown. The heat is long...
Monday, December 16, 2019
Three years ago I was in Ghana. I stood in shock, staring at the dusty trail trod by hundreds of thousands of stolen Africans. Countless people were force-marched from the interior territories of West Africa to the coast, stepping over the dead for hundreds of miles...
Sunday, December 15, 2019
Why do we long so much to be in touch with the living God? I hope it isn’t because we’re scared or expect some tangible reward for good behavior. Look to the prophets: As much as they rail, as angry and anxious as they feel, they are actively trying to turn people’s...
Saturday, December 14, 2019
Prior to ordination, I worked as a newspaper journalist. I didn’t have much of a faith to speak of, but I was transfixed by the stories of people whose lives depended on faith. It was an honor and a wonder to listen to and convey their stories to a secular,...
Friday, December 13, 2019
There is an old story about a henhouse that burns to the ground. In the ashes, the farmer discovers the charred body of a mother hen. When he lifts her remains, he is surprised to discover the chicks still underneath her, warm but unscathed. This is what a mother hen...
