A Rock and A Hard Place - June 30

Today’s Readings:  Psalm 106:1-18; 1 Samuel 10:17-27; Acts 7:44-8:1a; Luke 22:52-62

“I know this to be true: The world doesn’t get great unless we all get better.” Jacqui Lewis

 Today’s gospel reading has always been one of the most heartbreaking for me of all the gospel stories. Every time I read it, I imagine the guilt and horrific shame Peter must have felt. This has been an ongoing dilemma in relationships since the beginning of time. Knowing the right thing to do and doing it can often be light years apart.

As adolescents age into adulthood they quite often are faced with this same choice. Bullying is nothing new. It has been part of the fabric of growing up long before we became so very aware of it. Peer pressure can bend and even break the strongest of good intentions. As a parent I’ve watched as my children have been the subject of bullying. Knowing the children involved can make it harder to understand because many of these kids have good parents and they’ve been kind, loyal friends. We know how devoted Peter was to his friend, his teacher, his Messiah. Why then did Peter choose to deny Jesus? What makes it so hard to do the right thing? A need to be accepted by others, a lack of maturity or insecurity, fear of rejection by your peers can all be factors. Fear of punishment, retaliation or even death can be some of the most persuasive influences we have.

Our youth feel this pressure every day. How do we prepare them to be in the world, confident and sure of their convictions when the adults in their lives may be struggling with these same dilemmas? It can feel as though we’re truly in that place where we have no good choices – the rock and the hard place. I recently found myself in a spot very much like this. I was scared to do the right thing and scared not to do it.  In the end the people around me whom I trust, who profess the same values I try to live by helped me realize who I was most concerned about pleasing.

Peter didn’t want to betray Jesus, we know that, and Jesus knew that. Jesus, however, knows our human frailties. He knows that if in the end when we choose wrongly, we will need his forgiveness and we will hopefully learn from our mistakes. Jesus forgave Peter and from the looks of it Peter learned to be strong in his convictions, to choose Jesus over other’s approval. Peter didn’t have this verse to remember but I call it up quite a lot: “For am I now seeking the approval of man or God?  . . . . If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10.)

Life never seems to get easier, there always seems to be a new challenge, a new difficult choice to make.  Following Christ is one of the hardest parts of our journey, and it can also be the one thing that makes everything else right. What I hope and pray for all of us is that when the choices get hard, we realize that we’re not alone and that we live in community with others who face the same problems the same difficult situations. Look to those you trust, pray for wisdom, instill in our youth this same wisdom - be someone a young person can trust. Remember: Everyone contributes to the fabric of this world. It won’t get better until we all contribute to the effort.

Faithfully,

Sally+

Questions for Reflection: Have you made a decision based on peer or societal pressure you later regretted? If you didn’t have someone to turn to for guidance, who might you turn to today?  

The Promise of New Life - June 23

Today’s Readings - AM Psalm 89:1-18; 1 Samuel 5:1-12; Acts 5:12-26; Luke 21:29-36

 After a forest fire when thousands of acres have been destroyed, leaving nothing but scorched earth, it looks as though nothing will ever grow again. However, months later green shoots begin to appear and before long the damage the fire has done gives way to more light and better growing conditions. The blackened earth, void of any signs of life, births nutrient rich soil feeding new life.

 Parker Palmer, in his book The Promise of Paradox, writes, “The way we respond to contradiction is crucial to our spiritual lives.” Paradox requires “both/and” instead of “either/or” thinking. This morning’s gospel reading is describing a paradox. It’s referring to what is known as the escaton or the end of time, the second coming of the Messiah.

 The escaton describes a time when everything that’s familiar will disappear however, it will be the fulfillment of the Kingdom – the fullness of time when all things will be well and there will be no pain and sorrow no more. Things may seem or appear to be contrary to what we expect. It’s a both/and sort of scenario.

 This can be difficult, especially today. Our culture seems more polarized or divided now than ever before, often resorting to “either/or” thinking rather than “both/and.” To embrace the paradox Jesus is describing is to take on a counter cultural way of thinking.  

The Gospel is full of counter cultural ways of thinking, endorsing a life that seems at odds with what our society encourages. In Luke, for example, the infant Jesus is both a new-born baby, and a Savior, Christ the King. His death on the cross was both a humiliating defeat, and a glorious victory.

Paradox refuses to be contained within an “either/or” space but requires that we expand our thinking to include possibilities that broaden the reality that lies before us. Today’s gospel reading from Luke is known as a “little-apocalypse,” full of metaphors and symbolism and never meant to be taken literally. Part of the threat or discomfort that apocalyptic writings produce, is that they predict a time when we will experience the destruction of everything as we know it now.

Regardless of whether it’s our health, our finances or just the simple effects of aging, we will all experience a loss of control, and we’ll need to learn to live with it, or it will undo us. It will be a both/and challenge. We will lose whatever illusion of control we think we possess but we can also embrace what life offers in that moment.

 Jesus doesn’t leave us without hope. The vision shared by Jesus this morning is assurance that even and maybe especially in the face of devastation—whether it’s a devastating forest fire, the result of human arrogance, or an unexpected diagnosis —there will be green shoots, the promise of new life. No matter how much it appears that the world is coming un-done, God’s way will always prevail. Be watchful and alert, prayerful and humble, trusting in God and patiently waiting for the eternal life only God can bring.

Faithfully,

Sally+

Thoughts for Reflection and Challenge - Have you ever felt as though you were going to implode under the weight of your fears or stress? Jesus will come to us not as a stranger, but as a beloved friend. How might you find ways to be present to Jesus during times of stress, fear or uncertainty? The SSEC clergy are available for suggestions on expanding your prayer life. 

Buen Camino!

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 88; PM Psalm 91, 92  1 Samuel 3:1-21; Acts 2:37-47; Luke 21:5-19

At this time tomorrow, twenty-five pilgrims will be flying out for a journey to Spain. We will walk the last 100 km of the Camino de Santiago. We will walk to find ourselves. We will walk to grow deeper in relationship with God and one another. We will walk to listen for the ways God is calling us to follow the Way of Saint James – and the Way set out for us by Jesus Christ. This is a pilgrimage of faithfulness, adventure, and surely some fun.

Our band of pilgrims includes twenty teenagers from Saint Stephen’s and five (brave) adult chaperones. We will walk and pray, sharing meals and making life-long memories. There will be obstacles we cannot anticipate. There will be grace that we do not deserve.

The intention for this endeavor is for young people to practice spiritual discernment, apart from the other distractions of life. What big, beautiful things could happen if we invite these burgeoning adults to listen intentionally for God to call them? Are they too young for this kind of experience? We see in Holy Scripture (appointed aptly for today in 1 Samuel 3:1-21) that the boy Samuel served the Lord in the Temple under the priest Eli. As Eli’s eyesight diminished, the Lord began calling Samuel by name in the middle of the night. Samuel believed his mentor was calling. Eli knew more: “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” Be still and listen, he advised. The Lord called Samuel. Prepared by the counsel of Eli, the boy responded, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” Samuel shared the vision with Eli. As Samuel grew into a prophet, the Lord was with him and “let none of his words fall to the ground.” (v. 19)

The story of Eli, Samuel, and God inspires me today – that the Lord will call these twenty youths, as they search for what it means to be young people in this time. God will be calling my four chaperone friends and me, too. Our steps will be of prayer, nourishment, uncertainty, and glee. We will walk daily, embracing moments of silence and laughter. We will make new bonds of care and connection. All with God’s help and your prayers. Over the next two weeks, I ask that you pray “buen camino” for us – to have a good path, spiritually and physically – for that is the prayer that we will offer others we meet along the Way.

Faithfully,
Katherine+

Reflection and Challenge

Each of us meets the Lord in varieties of ways. How do you listen for God? Do you need to be in conversation with others? Or silence and isolation? To be in nature? Set aside some time this week to pray and listen for God’s call for you. Journal and reflect on what the experience is like – for regardless of what we hear from God, our openness to listen shapes the way we live in faith.

Biblical Storytelling - June 18

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:97-120; PM Psalm 81, 82; 1 Samuel 2:12-26; Acts 2:1-21; Luke 20:27-40

Last Saturday, Sam Gilliam brought stories of Jesus to life in our parish hall—not as static words on a page, but as vibrant, human scenes full of texture and possibility. She invited us to step into the spaces the Gospels leave blank and to color outside the lines of our biblical understanding. One of those open spaces is the early life of Jesus. Apart from his birth and a brief temple scene at age twelve, Scripture leaves his childhood largely unrecorded.

It makes you wonder: What kind of boy was Jesus? What questions did he ask? Who taught him? How did he pray?

To reflect on that mystery, I’m drawn to a different child, Samuel, the young prophet growing up in the temple, whose story we find in 1 Samuel 2:12–26. In contrast to Eli’s sons, who abused their priestly roles, Samuel ministers faithfully before the Lord, even as a child. The passage says: “The boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and with the people.”

That same phrase is used of Jesus in Luke’s Gospel: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.” Sam had us in tears of laughter as she had Jesus asking “why” to just about every statement Mary and Joseph could ever make. 

It’s not hard to imagine young Jesus like Samuel—learning the rhythms of prayer, watching the grown-ups with quiet attentiveness, hearing stories of Moses and the prophets, asking big questions, and gradually sensing that God was calling him to something greater.  I’m sure Samuel asked his parents “why” a few times in his life.

What Sam Gilliam reminded us is that storytelling is more than entertainment—it’s theology in motion. When we wonder about Jesus’ early years, we aren’t rewriting Scripture; we’re stepping into it more deeply. We’re doing what Mary did when she treasured all these things in her heart, turning them over and imagining how they might speak to us today.

The story of Samuel tells us that God begins shaping us long before anyone sees the full picture. Maybe it’s true of us as well. Maybe the story of Jesus, like the story of Samuel, reminds us that divine purpose doesn’t wait until adulthood. It begins in the small, quiet, faithful moments. It begins when we listen.

And maybe that’s what faith invites us to do—to live with wonder in the gaps, to tell stories that point toward God’s grace, and to remember that even when Scripture is silent, the Spirit still speaks.  I hope you will watch her presentation here if you missed it, or if you just want to hear it again. 

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection: What missing parts of Bible stories do you want to know?  How can your imagination help you deepen your faith?

Broken Bones - June 16, 2025

Today’s Readings - AM Psalm 80; 1 Samuel 1:1-20; Acts 1:1-14; Luke 20:9-19

Three years ago today, the morning came as it always does. The day was probably a typical Alabama mid-June day, hot and humid with the possibility of a brief summer shower. To be honest I have no idea. I have no recollection of what happened in the hours leading up to what would change the lives of countless unsuspecting people forever.

I do remember exactly where I was when I heard the local news report there had been a shooting at a local church. I’ll never forget the panic I felt or the disbelief as my family along with many others gathered in the Publix parking lot, to pray and to keep vigil for the next few hours.

Of course, my memories are nothing compared to the memories of those who were impacted directly, those who were witnesses of the horrific act of violence, the first responders, or the family and friends that gathered at the emergency room waiting for news about their loved ones.

As I’ve been welcomed into the family of Saint Stephen’s the loss that was experienced that day, the pain that resulted and the heartbreak that continues to be manifested, has become incredibly personal. I treasure the joy I have experienced as well as the pain that has been shared with me, memories that continue to pay homage to the fractured hearts and lives.

As I read the reading from I Samuel for today and heard the heartache and misery Hannah experiences, the desperate way she turns to the Lord, pouring out her heart, her soul, I couldn’t help but feel her pain. Years of being barren, desperately wanting a child, of being forced to endure ridicule and bewilderment as to why God had seemingly turned his back on her feels so gut-wrenchingly real, a situation so many women face. However, she never loses faith, she never turns her back on God. She continues to look to God for support, for help.

Hannah’s pain and desperate pleas are a communal experience. As humans we all know these feelings, this desperation. They’re so familiar. The people of Saint Stephen’s know this pain, most likely some hsve felt forgotten by God, felt anger and a sense of abandonment. However, like Hannah this congregation has demonstrated a level of enduring faith that has brought fractured hearts comfort and shattered lives a path to wholeness and healing. I have heard bones that are broken, once healed are stronger than they were before. I think that applies to hearts and the Saint Stephen’s congregation as well.

May God continue to bless Saint Stephen’s with strong leaders, faithful witnesses and a spirit that refuses to see the evil in the world first but rather sees the glory and hope of God’s presence all around. May those hearts that begrudgingly resist to be healed, find comfort and healing and may we continue to look for the best in others and expect God’s presence to always provide hope.

Thoughts for Reflection: Has a traumatic event impacted your life? How have you recognized that event and taken steps to heal? If you are hesitating to seek help, what’s holding you back? There is help available. Contact one of our clergy, John, Katherine, Sally or Mary Bea. We can assist with information on local resources.

Faithfully,

Sally+

Thoughts for Reflection - Has a traumatic event impacted your life? How have you recognized that event and taken steps to heal? If you are hesitating to seek help, what’s holding you back? There is help available. Contact one of our clergy, John, Katherine, Sally or Mary Bea. We can assist with information on local resources

Get grounded - June 14, 2025

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 75, 76; PM Psalm 23, 27 Ecclus. 46:1-10; 2 Cor. 13:1-14; Luke 20:1-8

Today is Flag Day. The sun is shining and my kids are interacting in harmony. They are playing the National Anthem on kazoo and slide flute alongside our American flag as I try to focus and write. (It is not going well, as their play has morphed into a parade. A harmonica and drum, plus howling dogs, are now incorporated into the procession, and I just heard a few stanzas of “Kumbaya, My Lord” worked into the medley.) There is much joy in our corner of the world this morning.

Friends, I do not take the celebratory ambiance in this little household lightly. The giggles are fleeting…and I share the story to bring grounding to you, too, for there is more than just heaviness in the world around us. Yes, there is sickness and turmoil, grief and fear. Yes, people we love are ill, or far away, or in danger. Perhaps we are in pain or faced with no good options. Maybe the healing we had hoped to share is now met with more trauma.

I cannot know all the hard in your life, and I have weathered tension and disappointment in my own. As such, a prayer like Psalm 27 is a song of trust and individual petition that keeps me in conversation and connection with God. I need those spaces of grounding to remind me the fullness of human experience in God’s creation.

Take a moment to sit with this psalm in its entirety, or note these verses:

v. 1: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom then shall I fear? 

the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom then shall I be afraid?...

v. 5 One thing have I asked of the Lord; one thing I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; …

v. 7 For in the day of trouble he shall keep me safe in his shelter; he shall hide me in the secrecy of his dwelling and set me high upon a rock…

v. 11 You speak in my heart and say, “Seek my face.” Your face, Lord, will I seek…

The psalmist’s words can be quite meaningful in a time of unrest – either at home or in the greater world around us. Rather than focusing on the things that are passing away or stirring up division, the psalmist affixes their eyes upon God as the point of orientation and stability, the source of light and salvation. I imagine this type of focus as a remedy for motion sickness, when picking the one visual reference that is unmoving and steady, though the remainder of the surroundings are twisting, swerving, or rocking.

May God’s love, the light of Christ, and the courage of the Holy Spirit steady you today, as we wait patiently for the Lord.

Faithfully,
Katherine+

Reflection and Challenge

How does joy and laughter build up your spirit so that you can persist in challenging situations? In the days ahead, what does it look like to reframe these moments of joy as holy gifts of nourishment and courage from God? Take note of what your experience is in reframing.

Slow Change - June 11

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 72; PM Psalm 119:73-96; Deut. 31:30-32:14; 2 Cor. 11:21b-33; Luke 19:11-27

I just walked out of my first class on liturgical structure at Sewanee, where we’re studying how Christian worship has taken shape over the past two thousand years—especially the rites of Baptism and Eucharist. We’ll be reading early texts that reach all the way back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries. It’s a chance to dive deep into areas I couldn’t fully explore in seminary.

What strikes me most so far is how slowly and patiently our liturgies have evolved. Our prayers, our songs, and our sacraments weren’t born in a single moment; they unfolded over generations. Change, I’m learning, rarely happens all at once. It takes years, decades—sometimes a lifetime.

At the same time, I’m paying attention to how rapidly the world around us is changing—often faster than we can absorb. We’re living through a season of profound uncertainty and transformation, and we won’t fully understand the meaning of these days for decades to come.

Those two truths: one of slow formation, the other of fast-moving change. Both shape how I hear today’s Gospel.

In Luke 19, Jesus tells a story about a nobleman who entrusts his servants with resources while he travels. Some take risks and invest what they’ve been given. One buries it in fear. When the nobleman returns, he doesn’t reward flashiness—he honors faithfulness.

We live in a world obsessed with immediacy: instant results, instant impact. But God’s kingdom grows differently. It grows through steady, hidden, courageous work, the kind of work that often goes unnoticed but leaves deep roots.

So I wonder: Where is God calling you to be faithful, even when you can’t see results right away? What gifts have you been given, not to protect, but to offer with courage and trust?

Sometimes the holiest work is the slowest: raising a child with love, leading a group, community, or workplace with quiet integrity, planting a seed that won’t bloom for years, praying to forgive someone who has wronged you. 

May we be found faithful, not just in the dramatic moments, but in the small, sacred acts that shape a lifetime.

John+

A New Attitude - June 9, 2025

Today’s Readings - AM Psalm 56, 57, [58]; Deut. 30:1-10; 2 Cor. 10:1-18; Luke 18:31-43

This past week I spent an afternoon at Camp McDowell with the campers and staff at Special Session and another afternoon with the staff who had volunteered to spend the week in Greensboro with the campers who attended Sawyerville Day Camp. Both ministries serve youth and adults who for the most part have very few resources and look forward to these sessions from the minute they leave until they arrive again the next summer. I know from having spent time at Sawyerville the children in the surrounding area have no other summer activities other than what they are provided by attending Sawyerville. Very few have ever had access to a pool much less learned how to swim. Many of the Special session Campers live in group home settings and seldom have the opportunity to go swimming, dance or sing.

I realize I’m fortunate to have been exposed to these ministries. It could be easy to completely underestimate the impact they have on not only the campers but also the youth and adults who volunteer to be there. I can guarantee that many a college application includes an essay about how serving at one of these camps has changed the course of a young life.

When I hear the expression, “They did not have ears to hear or eyes to see,” that’s what I think about. We can pass right by truths, gems of information, glorious manifestations of God’s creation and we can completely miss them. We can miss the opportunity to see the kingdom.

In today’s gospel the disciples do not have ears to hear or eyes to see Jesus’ message. Then when they are passing through Jericho, they don’t see the opportunity to care for someone in need of healing. In many ways the disciples were as blind as the beggar who receives his sight.

After we returned from Special Session someone mentioned to me that he had what he described to me as an epiphany. As he sat there surrounded by people he cared about, folks of all sorts of abilities and stations in life, varied vocations and ages, he realized he was seeing the kingdom of God. It might have looked like a hot chaotic mess to some, but he saw the holiness in the moment. He saw the presence of God and he realized the kingdom was all around. What a gift that was for him and for those of us who shared that moment with him.

There are opportunities all around us to see the Kingdom, to make a difference, to help heal a broken heart or help a child learn to swim. If we don’t grab these opportunities as they come, we miss what could be lifelong treasures.

There’s a quote in Douglas John Hall’s book Thinking the Faith that I believe applies here:

"Jesus says in his society there is a new way for people to live:  you show wisdom by trusting people;  you handle leadership by serving;  you handle offenders by forgiving; you handle money by sharing;  you handle enemies by loving; and you handle violence by suffering.

 In fact, you have a new attitude toward everything, toward everybody. . . . . . . . Because in a Jesus society you repent, not by feeling bad, but by thinking different." Hall is describing life in “the kingdom.” Simply by considering what we see and hear with more intention we can make a difference.

 Questions for Reflection:

What are some ways we can stay focused to see and hear the opportunities to follow Jesus, to do his work? When was the last time you realized you had just missed an opportunity to serve God’s kingdom?

 Faithfully,

Sally+

Teenagers - June 4

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 101, 109:1-4(5-19)20-30; PM Psalm 119:121-144; Ezek. 11:14-25; Heb. 7:1-17; Luke 10:17-24

 ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.’

As the parent of a teenager, I have reached the moment where my child knows infinitely more than I could ever learn in a lifetime, at least according to him.  I believe Mark Twain once said, “When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”   I’m in the ignorant chapter.  You get the drift.

It’s funny, isn’t it, how age can make us simultaneously feel smarter and more clueless. Part of aging is we learn just enough to realize how little we actually know. And perhaps that’s what Jesus is getting at here. Not that wisdom or intelligence are bad, but that true understanding begins with humility. God’s wisdom begins with wonder and with the kind of openness you find in a child who still asks “why?” twenty times in a row without shame instead of lambasting you with certainty at the dinner table.

Infants don’t know much, but they know how to trust. They know how to receive. They know how to be fully dependent. And maybe that’s the posture Jesus is praising—the willingness to see that grace isn’t something you figure out like a puzzle or earn like a degree. It’s something you notice when you stop needing to be the smartest one in the room.

So, here’s to holy curiosity and to the gift of not having all the answers. And to the childlike faith that keeps us open to wonder—especially when it shows up in unexpected places, like the wisdom of teenagers (Jack sometimes does surprise me) or the grace of God disguised as mystery.

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection: What is something that you are just learning now?  What is something that is a mystery to you? How does humility shape your life and faith?

A Timely Invitation - June 2

Today’s Readings - Ezek. 4:1-17; AM Psalm 89:1-18; Heb. 6:1-12; Luke 9:51-62

One of my favorite authors, Ken Follett, created an incredible historical fiction in his trilogy, Century. Follett takes his readers from 1911, the day of King George V’s coronation through the 1980s. The last book of this trilogy, Edge of Eternity, begins in the 1960s and culminates with the civil rights movement. At the beginning of the Civil Rights movement George Jakes, a bi-racial twenty-something, volunteers for a Freedom Ride. The Supreme Court decision Morgan v. the Commonwealth of Virginia had made the segregation of races on interstate public transportation unconstitutional. Some of the southern states were ignoring the decision, so, in the Spring of 1961, in an attempt to challenge the attitude of the southern states, an interracial group organized by the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) prepared to ride a bus from Washington D.C. to New Orleans. In anticipation of the violence they would face, their preparation focused on nonviolent resistance, self-protection, and understanding potential resistance, principles inspired by Mahatma Gandi’s belief that social change could be achieved without using violence. 

What ensued on their journey were some of the worst behaviors of which humanity is capable. At a stop in Alabama, they were met by crowds of angry whites, one of their buses was firebombed and as they fled from the fire they were attacked and brutally beaten. Some were arrested, and in some cases, no police protection was provided even with knowledge of the violence that was planned.

The attacks drew national and international attention to the civil rights movement. The nonviolent approach of the Freedom Riders was considered to be successful given the attention they had garnered along with the stark contrast with the actions of segregationists, highlighting the moral imperative of their cause. Ultimately, despite the personal cost, the Freedom Rides demonstrated that nonviolent direct action could be an effective way to achieve social change. 

Christians for Social Action declared Gandhi the best modern disciple of Jesus' nonviolent teachings. Gandhi, trained in his native India as a lawyer, drew inspiration from Christian ideals embodied by Jesus Christ, particularly the Sermon on the Mount, which emphasizes nonviolence, forgiveness and love for enemies.

 In today’s gospel, James and John’s reaction to their rejection by the Samaritans was to “command fire to come down from heaven and consume them,” much like Elijah’s response to the King’s messengers in 2 Kings. However, Jesus rebukes them. Again, he reminds them of the inevitable rejection they will face in his absence and of the nonviolent response they will need to practice by continuing to focus on their God-given mission to grow the Kingdom of God. It's difficult to read the accounts of the Freedom Rides without recognizing the similarities in the ideology of the rider’s training with the non-violent resistance Jesus taught his disciples.

 Despite these examples and others, it seems that no matter how many times we see the aftermath of violence we continue to shake our heads in disbelief as if real change is beyond our reach. What if we were to take today’s gospel as a timely invitation to revisit these events, to reconsider the direction humanity is taking and our own role in challenging the continual violence our society seems to tolerate? Remember, every small effort is a worthy act, capable of creating a ripple affect.

Faithfully,

Sally+

 Questions for Reflection – When have you been challenged to act on something you felt was unethical or immoral? As overwhelming as a solution may feel how can we realistically impart change? How might we emulate Jesus' example in our daily lives?

Trust in God - May 28

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:97-120; Baruch 3:24-37; James 5:13-18; Luke 12:22-31

It’s hard not to worry. We worry about our families, our health, our finances, the future of the world. Even when things are going well, we find new things to be anxious about. Maybe it’s our constant desire to be connected which means digesting worry from every possible stream. News, neighbor, phone, social media all have the capacity to rile us up. It’s as if worry has become the background noise of our lives—so constant, we hardly notice it anymore.

And then Jesus says, “Do not worry about your life.”

Not as a rebuke. Not as a guilt trip. He offers these words as an invitation.

He points to the birds and the flowers—simple, overlooked parts of the world around us—and says, “Look.”

Look at how God provides. Look at how creation sings with beauty, even without striving. Look at how you are held, even when you can’t see it.

 It’s one of those passages where Jesus invites us not to accomplish more or get it all together, but simply to notice. To pause long enough to see that the world still turns without our endless striving. That maybe—just maybe—we are loved and cared for more than we realize.

It seems important to parse that Jesus is not asking us to be passive. There is too much in Scripture that calls us into action and discipleship. But maybe it is worthy highlighting that in this instance, the action is so simple, it is disarming. Notice. Trust. Jesus is inviting us to practice trust. He invites us to show up, day by day, and believe that faith isn’t just something we feel—it’s something we do.

When we pray. When we gather at the table. When we serve others or share what we have. These are small, intentional ways we say, “God, I trust you.”

Even when worry comes knocking. Especially then. Especially right now.

This passage reminds us that peace isn’t found in having everything figured out.

Peace comes from learning to see that God is already at work in the everyday—and choosing to live trusting that it’s true.

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection: What are areas in your life where you can trust God more?  What does that look like?  

The storms of our Life - May 21

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 72; PM Psalm 119:73-96; Wisdom 13:1-9; Rom 13:1-14; Luke 8:16-25

A little over five years ago, a group from Saint Stephen’s spent some time in Israel following in the footsteps of Jesus and several days in the region around the sea of Galilee. We even took a boat ride as part of tour. It was a beautiful and slightly overcast day. We were spared from any inclement weather, but I remember the guide sharing how quickly storms arise in this region. A person who made a living fishing on the sea of Galilee would know this, and maybe would even be prepared for uncertainty. 

In the Gospel for today, the wind picks up and the waves rise. And even though some of the disciples were seasoned fishermen—men who knew these waters—they are terrified. “Master, Master, we are perishing!” they cry out.

And Jesus? He’s asleep.

It’s a moment we recognize. Maybe not with literal waves crashing over us, but certainly the emotional, spiritual, or existential ones. We know and are even prepared for the uncertainty of our earthly existence and yet change or unfavorable weather (metaphorical and literal) has the capacity to drastically change our outlook.

But then Jesus wakes, and with just a word, there is peace. Calm. Stillness.

And then the question: “Where is your faith?” It’s not a rebuke so much as an invitation—a reminder that Jesus wasn’t absent. He was always in the boat.

That’s the heart of our sacramental life. Week after week, we gather. Sometimes in joy, sometimes in exhaustion, sometimes in quiet desperation. We bring all of it to the altar. And the gift we receive isn’t flashy or loud. It’s bread and wine. It’s the simple promise that Jesus is still with us—in the boat, in the storm, in the stillness.

The rhythm of showing up each week doesn’t stop the storms from coming, but it anchors us. It gives us eyes to see Jesus—not just when everything is calm, but even when the winds howl and the waves rise.

Maybe the miracle isn’t just that Jesus calms the storm, but that we can learn to trust he’s with us before the storm is even over. If you feel a level of uncertainty due to the storms in your own life, might I suggest that our commitment to kneel (or stand if unable) at the altar rail to receive the gift of God’s presence can be our sustaining hope.

John+

Question for Self-Reflections: What areas of your life can faith help ground you? Where are the storms in your life?

To Truly be Seen - May 19, 2025

Today’s Readings - AM Psalm 56, 57, [58]; Wisdom 9:1, 7-18; Col. (3:18-4:1)2-18; Luke 7:36-50

When I was in high school one of my teachers really saw me. She saw the tentative way I would glance around the room before volunteering, or how I would hesitate as people paired up for projects, never wanting to be rejected. She recognized things in me I was too immature to see but nonetheless was able to hear. I felt accepted for the awkward shy child I was, and those attributes that still lay hidden she encouraged and helped give me the confidence to embrace. The parts of my personality that I was criticized about, my shyness or reticence to speak up she saw as opportunities for growth and increased awareness of my strengths that were yet to see the light of day.  

As I read today’s gospel reading from Luke, I was struck by how differently Simon saw the nameless woman in comparison to how Jesus saw her. Simon saw a woman of questionable merit, a sinner who any self-respecting Jew would not associate with, much less allow to touch him. When Jesus asks Simon, “Do you see this woman?” He’s not asking if he’s noticed her robes or the color of her hair. He’s asking, “Do you see her spirit; do you see her compassion and the love she’s offering?” Do you see her as a precious child of God?

I was once told by a homeless person, that the thing that is almost more hurtful than everything else that happens to him on a daily basis is the way people look straight through him as if he doesn’t exist. What he sees in passerby’s eyes is that he doesn’t matter, that his existence is nothing to them. The apathy, he said, is worse than being spit on or yelled at. I get irritated when I’m not acknowledged as I stand at a counter waiting for a store clerk to help me; what this man described is infinitely worse. Sadly, people in our culture who are chronically ignored grow accustomed to this treatment to the point that they expect it rather than expecting compassion or empathy.

What Jesus wants Peter to “see’ in this parable is that through the eyes of her faith she recognized Jesus as the Messiah, she saw the sacrifice and selfless way he would end his life. She saw an opportunity to give back, to care for someone who cared so deeply for others. Through Jesus’ eyes of love, he saw through her reputation, through her sins, to see a heart full of love, faith and remorse.

Something very powerful happens when we are truly seen for who we are. It doesn’t happen every day, nor does everyone acknowledge or even understand the nuanced difference between seeing someone in passing and truly seeing them through eyes that bear the filter given to us by God. But when it happens, and you know you’ve been seen it’s life-giving, it’s a transformative gift.

Faithfully,

Sally+

 Questions for reflection: When was the last time you felt as though someone really “got you?” Really saw who you are deep down? Do you remember how good it felt? What prevents us from seeing through characteristics we may not understand or like in others? How hard would it be to make an intentional effort to listen, to look at others so that we truly see them?

“And you shall know that I am the LORD” – May 16, 2025

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 40, 54; PM Psalm 51; Wisdom 6:12-23; Col 3:1-11; Luke 7:1-17

“And you shall know that I am the LORD.” This refrain echoes through the book of the prophet Ezekiel. As he issues prophetic messages from Yahweh to the Israelites from exile in Babylon in 586 BCE, Ezekiel warns of destruction in their midst because of the distractions that draw them away from living with hearts for God. They are wrapped up in sinful behaviors, idolatrous practices, and are a general mess. And it is only going to get messier: Division will come. Conflicts will heighten. People will be scattered and persecuted. After each hardship is described in vivid imagery, the refrain comes, “Then they shall know that I am the LORD.”

I have been pondering this book of the Hebrew Bible with a lovely group during the Thursday afternoon Bible study at Saint Stephen’s. What does it truly mean to know that God is the great I AM? Each person will respond differently, and here is the message swirling in my heart this morning. When I say, “Yes, I know You are the LORD,” I am acknowledging that the Divine is here and at play in the world – and even in my life. When I use words around knowing God, I am connecting experiences and belief, albeit feebly, and moving that internal contemplation outward. Maybe those words are only held in my head or my journal – but maybe that attempt at affixing language to thought is translated into prayer to God, spoken in spirit or through my lips. If I am really paying attention to what I am saying, these words can move me to action. It is a type of alignment of faith and life, so that believing in and knowing God shapes how I am in the world around me.

The apostle Paul speaks to this mindset and life-set to the new Christians in churches around the Mediterranean. In the letter to the house churches in Colossae, we read this challenge, “So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God, Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth…” (3:1-2)

How will we “live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28) as the Body of Christ when we acknowledge the Lord as the magnificent Divine, the source of breath and life? If we believe that we are of God’s love and made for God’s love and to share God’s love, what will shift within ourselves and outside of ourselves? May that transformation begin today.

Faithfully,
Katherine+

Reflection and Challenge

What does it mean to you to know the Lord God? Ponder this thought today. What prayers and actions come to mind?

Some really hard scripture - May 14

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 119:49-72; PM Psalm 49, [53]; Wisdom 4:16-5:8; Col. 1:24-2:7; Luke 6:27-38

Last week, our new endeavor, the Threshold Center, held in conjunction with Saint Stephen’s, an evening focused on depolarization hosted by a national organization called Braver Angels.  Braver Angels believes that civic renewal begins with every voice being respected and is working to build bridges across partisan lines.  The organization is growing by leaps and bounds and has hosted over 5,000 events with more than 63,000 participants. 

At our event, a transformer blew causing the power to go out, and the temperature of the room reached almost 80 degrees.  I heard it was an especially meaningful evening, and you might say, “people were sweating.”  Maybe it was a simple and serendipitous reminder—crossing partisan lines isn’t easy work. 

It seems more than obvious that we shouldn’t see each other as enemies but consider the implications of our rich Gospel text. There are few passages in Scripture that push against the grain of our instincts like this one. Jesus looks at the crowd and says: “Love your enemies.” It’s one of those teachings that we’re tempted to soften, to spiritualize. But Jesus doesn’t back down—he doubles down: “Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”

This is not a call to be passive. It’s not a suggestion to let injustice slide. It’s a call to a deeper strength—a radical mercy rooted in God’s own love. Jesus is inviting us to mirror the heart of God, a God who is “kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.” That’s not sentimental love; that’s courageous, sacrificial love.

He goes on: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” That line alone could be a life’s work. Mercy is not weakness—it is power held with compassion. It’s choosing not to give others what they might “deserve,” but instead offering what God has freely given to us: grace, forgiveness, a fresh start.

And then Jesus offers that difficult mirror: “The measure you give will be the measure you get back.” In other words, the way we love, forgive, bless, and show mercy matters. It doesn’t earn us God’s love—that’s already ours. But it reflects whether we’ve allowed that love to take root in us.

This passage isn’t just about being “nice.” It’s about choosing a different path—the Kingdom path—where love is stronger than hate, where mercy reshapes judgment, and where generosity spills over into joy. That’s not easy. But it’s the kind of life that Jesus lived—and the kind he invites us to live too.

While these implications apply to every facet of our lives, it might be a good place to begin in our cultural struggle to see God in each other, and to work together for the kingdom of God.  We should start with a commitment to love each other, regardless of what we feel about each other. Jesus is clear.  We just have to trust in His way.

Faithfully,

John+

Questions for Self-Reflection: This passage is especially challenging. What fears does it bring up for you if you live this way? How can you live more authentically into Jesus’s care for the hard people to love?

Rule Followers

Today’s Readings - AM Psalm 41, 52 Wisdom 1:16-2:11,21-24; Col. 1:1-14; Luke 6:1-11

 Rule followers often miss the point. I’m frequently reminded that I’m a rule follower. I didn’t realize this until a few years ago when I began seeing myself in our youngest child. When he started playing baseball, if he thought the umpire had misread a rule of the game, he would openly criticize the official. His dad almost jumped onto the field the first time it happened. No matter how many times we explained that “In this case you do not question authority,” he would frequently ignore our warnings and in protest declare, “He’s not following the rules.” My husband would glare at me, saying, “He’s just like you!” To be fair I’m not as brave as our son was. I tend to be a little more intimidated by authority than he was. 

 Over the years, he’s become more gracious, more diplomatic, but still true to his resolve. I think I’ve probably mellowed some, too. One thing I’ve learned is to be careful to choose the groups with which I associate. This can prevent my being in a position where I’m forced to break the rules or follow one, I don’t agree with. It’s not always possible but I try to be more thoughtful, more deliberate than I once was.  

 In today’s gospel reading, the disciples are criticized for breaking the rules that faithful Jews follow regarding the Sabbath. As Jesus so often does, he replies with a question, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?” During the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, medical staff at Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans were faced with life altering decisions. Decisions none of them wanted to make. Afterwards, their decisions drew great scrutiny resulting in legal action. In Five Days at Memorial, written by journalist Sheri Spink, she documents each moment of that horrific experience.

 It’s clear that none of the decisions were made easily or without great regret. The ethical dilemma they were placed in was inconceivable. Medical professionals who knew the importance of following the rules governing medical care were forced to break rules they never imagined breaking before those five days. Ultimately some lives were saved and some were lost. Whether they made the right decisions or not is hard to say. It was clear however, survival for as many as possible required actions of which many would regret.  

 I think it’s safe to say that the Pharisees missed the point. To put rules above human life could never be part of God’s plan. Does this mean that breaking rules is always the better choice? No. The adage "rules are meant to be broken," isn’t always true. Making decisions that are sound, that seek the betterment of humanity, that treat people with respect and that value all human life can take deep thoughtfulness, courage, and yes, sometimes it can take a certain disregard for authority or rules.

 In today’s narrative, Jesus is asserting his authority and as he does, he knows what the repercussions will be. As always, Jesus bases his statements on scripture, and tradition using reasoning that values human life over rules. 

It took moxie and more than a little naiveté for my seven-year-old to confront authority. Over time I think he’s come to see the greater point, to realize the value in carefully choosing to break some rules. I hope he’s salvaged some of that moxie. Our world can use more of that. 

 Faithfully,

Sally+ 

Questions for Reflection – When was the last time you were tempted to break a rule for the sake of a better outcome? What would have been the repercussions? If you didn’t, why not? If you did, what was that like?

Forgiveness and healing – May 9, 2025

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 105:1-22; PM Psalm 105:23-45;  Dan. 6:1-15; 2 John 1-13; Luke 5:12-26  

Can you think of a time when you wronged someone and – after a time – they truly and deeply forgave you? Perhaps it felt like a weight was lifted from your chest and you were no longer burdened with the pain of separation and angst. Receiving forgiveness brings a new sense of freedom. Hope can swirl again within your mind and whole being.

In today’s gospel, Jesus saw the faith of a paralyzed man’s friends. Because of their heroic efforts to get the man closer to Jesus for healing, he said to the disabled man, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven you.’ (Luke 5:20) And then Jesus healed him so that he could walk again. The scribes and Pharisees – spiritual experts and leaders – were appalled and disturbed. Forgiveness was not to be doled out by anyone. This brazen man was pushing it too far, for the Lord God was and is the only absolver of sin. As such, they spoke out vehemently against Jesus, yet they knew the scriptures of the Hebrew people. They knew of the times in history when God extended mercy and grace and when prophets proclaimed God’s goodness and hope. They stood by as Jesus’ ministry continued, displaying the reconciling and healing love of God over and over, bridging the spaces of separation and pain and transforming lives.

We humans often trip over ourselves and become stumbling blocks for others. And sometimes, with God’s help, we come together to lift up those in need or show up for our friends who are grieving. Let us remember today that forgiveness and healing go hand in hand. They are more accessible to us through the witness and power of Jesus. May this good news inspire your words and your interactions this day.

Faithfully,

Katherine+

Reflection and Challenge

What is your relationship with forgiveness? Do you avoid apologies and hope the topic will move on? Are you quick to ask for forgiveness or stubborn to accept apologies?

Reflect on where God is calling you to grow, heal, and learn as you ponder the gift of forgiveness this day.

With Purpose, May 7, 2025

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 38; PM Psalm 119:25-48 ; Dan. 5:1-12; 1 John 5:1-12; Luke 4:38-44

Today’s Gospel echoes the theme from last Sunday. Then, Jesus asked Simon Peter three times, “Do you love me?”—each time following with a command: “Feed my sheep.” In that moment (John 21:1–19), love became vocation. Peter’s experience of God’s love gave shape to his life by giving him a mission: to care for others.

We see a similar rhythm in today’s passage from Luke. There’s something quietly powerful about the pace and pattern of Jesus’ day. After teaching in the synagogue, he immediately responds to the suffering in Simon’s household. He heals not just with compassion but with authority. And when Simon’s mother-in-law is restored, she rises—not just in strength, but in service. Healing, here, is not the end of the story. It becomes the beginning of purpose.

As the day wears on, the needs grow. People gather from every direction, bringing with them sickness, burdens, and pain. Jesus responds to each—not with a sweeping gesture, but with personal attention, laying hands on every individual. And yet, even in this outpouring of presence and mercy, he doesn’t remain. At daybreak, he departs to a quiet place, and when the crowd tries to hold on to him, he says, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.”

Jesus’ mission is both intimate and expansive. He meets people in their deepest need with tenderness, but he is also propelled by a holy urgency to carry the Kingdom into every corner of the world. For that to happen, the healing he offers must also become the healing we extend.

Today, may we pay attention to both the healing we need and the healing we are called to offer. May we listen for God’s invitation to serve, even when it moves us beyond what feels comfortable or familiar. And may we see our lives through the lens of sacred purpose—called, like Simon’s mother-in-law, to rise and serve.

John+

Question for Self-Reflection: Where is God calling you to be an instrument of healing today?

With God's Help, May 5, 2025

Today's Readings - Ezekiel 34:1-10 Psalm 51:10-17 2 Corinthians 4.7–12 Matthew 7:1-6

On this day on the church calendar, we remember the Martyrs of the Reformation Era. This commemoration was first observed in the Roman Catholic Church. It began by commemorating the forty martyrs of England and Wales who were executed between 1535 and 1679 for their allegiance to the Catholic Church. In more recent times the Church of England (C of E) has recognized on this day the forty Catholic martyrs with the addition of those persons who were loyal to the C of E as well as all other Christians who were persecuted for their faith.  

This commemoration requires us as Christians to do some pretty heavy introspective lifting. Those who have become known to us as martyrs were not persecuted and killed by pagans with no faith. They were executed by other Christians. People much like themselves who were followers of Jesus Christ.  

Unfortunately, it didn’t end in 1679, nor is it likely it will ever end. I remember when I was in the tenth or eleventh grade learning that throughout history much harm has been orchestrated in the name of Christ. It was a hard reality to come to grips with at such a young age.

Over time Christians have come together in an effort to discuss this very topic. To begin to understand the dynamics of what happened. Their work addressed our need to help others heal, to help our own hearts to heal, and to acknowledge our own complicity.

History has a way of repeating itself. Not always in glaringly obvious ways but in subtle trends and shifts in cultural mores. Unwritten rules that often end up dictating what is considered acceptable human behavior or not. We no longer burn martyrs at the stake in the town square, but we do still judge and persecute others who do not follow the path in the same way we do.

I happen to be a huge fan of our baptismal liturgy. For many reasons but one reason is because it's a sacramental act that never ends. At our baptism we are made a member of the body of Christ but it’s not a “one and done.” Our baptismal covenant includes five questions that I believe are our "marching orders" as followers of Christ. The gist of it is we never quit learning or growing in our faith, we never quit striving for justice or ensuring all people are treated with respect, we never quit spreading the Good News or seeking to love everyone as we love ourselves. We do all of this with God's help, and when we fall into sin we repent and return to the Lord. We repent. We fail and then we turn back, again and again.

The martyrs lived their faith during a time when they knew their lives were on the line. Our's are too, just not in as dramatic a fashion. Their sacrifice can serve as a reminder of how important it is to be faithful to our baptismal covenant, to be faithful as if our life in Christ depends on it.

Faithfully,

Sally+

Reflection and Challenge - When was the last time you revisited your baptismal covenant? Take time to read the vows we made, How can you live them in your daily life? What might change if you set a goal of intentionally incorporating these vows every day?

Radiant beams of light – May 2, 2025

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 16, 17; PM Psalm 134, 135 
Dan 3:1-18; 1 John 3:1-10; Luke 3:15-22  

Last night, Sam and I went to a concert. A midweek date on a school night…what a rare treat! We grabbed dinner and as the rain drops began to fall, we walked into the venue. We stood near the back as the main event took the stage. I loved the music, and I was also captivated by the lights during the show. It was not a high-tech display. I watched as the beams of light moved out over the crowd, from a bold spot at the source to an expanding gentle blanket of color. That outward movement of energy is what stays with me this morning, both with the power of light and the power of God’s love.

As I reflect on the retelling of Jesus’ baptism in Luke, I image as heaven was opened up and the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus “in bodily form like a dove”, there was also a beam of light fanning out and surrounding the Son of God. In the spotlight, a voice resounded from the heavenly spaces, “You are my Beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Following baptism, Jesus went out to pray and reflect in the wilderness, faced with temptations. Then he began to teach in the synagogue and to heal the afflicted and suffering. Jesus brought restoration to body, mind, and spirit through spoken word and the laying on of hands, so that the healed ones could reengage with their lives in health and wholeness. Though people sometimes longed for Jesus to stay with them, he knew he had to keep proclaiming the restorative power of God to as many as he could find. God’s light and love continued to radiate outward in ripples. Through the gift of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, the world was changed.

I wonder how Jesus sees us attending to the light and love of God today. Sometimes I forget it is there. I get focused on earthly constraints and tensions. And yet, I believe and have seen that God’s light radiates from our words, our eyes, our very presence. I wonder how many among us are in tune with God’s love within and around us. As you go through this day, perhaps you will see a ray of light. Look for the source and then look where it is landing. Remember the power of light and the power of God’s love. Shine a wisp of that light with others, through encouragement, compassion, and truth in love. It is not easy; I pray that we each lean upon the courage of the Holy Spirit as we radiate the light of Christ.

Faithfully,

Katherine+

Reflection and Challenge

How do you shine the light of Christ? When is it hard? When does it feel natural?

Ponder and pray how God is calling you to share the resurrection hope of Jesus in this Easter season.