Reflections

When it comes to being witnesses to our faith, the Rev. Tim Schenck writes, most Episcopalians are "basically members of the Witness Protection Program."  Then comes a remarkable public statement from the mother of a murdered young man that speaks about forgiveness and the power of not staying…

Q. What does the snail say, riding on the back of a turtle?  A.  “Wheeee!”    I do not like roller coasters.  In the realm of amusement rides, a turtle ride is about as far as I would prefer to go.  I don’t like hanging upside down.  I don’t like it when the…

Following is the text of the sermon preached by the Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, Bishop of Massachusetts, on Tuesday in Holy Week, March 31, 2015, at the Service of Holy Eucharist with Renewal of Ordination Vows and Blessing of Holy Oil at Emmanuel Church in Boston.Batter my heart, three person’d God;…

This morning I was awakened at 5:30 a.m. by the sound of our town’s Department of Public Works crews clearing the heavy slush that accumulated overnight.  I didn’t begrudge them the noise this morning because the sounds I heard were sidewalk plows trying to clear a place to walk for…

This post originally appeared on The Rambling Priest, the blog of the Rev. Philip LaBelle, Rector of St. Mark's Church in Southborough. The parish I serve, St. Mark’s in Southborough, was founded in 1860 by a local business man Joseph Burnett.  Joseph gave land and money to build our…

For years I resisted admitting that my eyesight was slipping.  Always I told myself that the light was bad, or I was just tired.  I was unwilling to recognize this gradual function of nature because, honestly, I had spent a lifetime being quite proud of my eyesight:  20/20 in one eye…

A benediction offered by Bishop Alan M. Gates at the 45th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Breakfast on Jan. 19, 2015:With the voice of a prophet did Amos say:  “Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts.” [5:15]  Pray, dear friends, that we would know the evil we must hate,…

O God, in seasons of darkness you call us to seek illumination and proclaim the brightness of hope.  We are renewed this night, O Lord.We are renewed this night in our grief and sorrow, at the recollection of precious lives ended at Sandy Hook, and all the equally precious lives…

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, It is not the usual sort of waiting.  The Advent discipline is unlike our typical experiences of waiting.  We wait in line at the grocery store and in congested traffic.  We wait for our computer program to download.  We wait for our workday…

One of the most interesting parts of this past state election, at least in my mind, is the map the Boston Globe put together that breaks down how each town voted.  As I look at it, I am struck, as a lifetime resident of Massachusetts, by just how divided our state is politically.  Popular…