As we continue our internal journey in Lent -- our journey of penitence, of turning toward God -- it is essential we wrestle with the question of sin, of the devil's persistence in pursuing us and how we're taught to overcome temptation. I write this as a sinner, constantly tempted and often failing in the … Continue reading Sweatin’ in the desert of temptation
Month: March 2019
The yoke that still hangs heavy
This lay sermon was delivered for Noonday Prayers at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Enid, Oklahoma, Wednesday, March 13, 2019, the feast day of The Right Reverend James Theodore Holly. Today we remember Bishop and Missionary James Theodore Holly. The first black bishop in The Episcopal Church, Anglican missionary to Haiti and first bishop of the … Continue reading The yoke that still hangs heavy
Lent: Not an end unto itself, but a call to greater action
Most of us start Lent asking ourselves, or being asked, “What will you give up?” This act of giving something up – a favorite food, a frivolous pastime or common distraction – is all many people know of Lent. At the heart of Lent is the effort to identify those aspects of our lives that … Continue reading Lent: Not an end unto itself, but a call to greater action
Lent, and the dustiness of our being
Our entry into this period of self-examination and penitence traditionally begins with the visible mark of ashes on our forehead. If you’re lucky, the mark resembles a cross – the sign of our faith. But, whether you receive the perfect ashen Roman cross or something resembling a smeared Rorschach inkblot, the meaning is the same: … Continue reading Lent, and the dustiness of our being
The Methodist question: passion, pain and the need for grace
This originally was published by CNHI News in the opinion column "Reflections with Purpose." In the difficult and often rocky path of a Christian life, there is perhaps no task more fraught with pitfalls than striking a balance between passion and grace. And grace, my friends, is sorely needed right now as members of the … Continue reading The Methodist question: passion, pain and the need for grace
