A Positively Poetic Priest

"action, not words" but, oh! the words! the red words the ones which bring connection through letters novels, stories spoken, written not half symbolized text messages feel the depth in the true words the true actions born from humanity, not automation 12/31/17

Almighty and everliving God, source of all wisdom and understanding, be present with those who take counsel for the renewal and mission of your Church. Teach us in all things to seek first your honor and glory. Guide us to perceive what is right, and grant us both the courage to pursue it and the grace to accomplish it; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (For a Church Convention or Meeting BCP 818) Sunday will be our Annual Meeting at St. John's. Each year we gather as a full congregation to review the past year, its financials, its events, its groups, and to look forward to the new year. The Annual Meeting is when we vote on new Vestry members, elect those who represent us at Diocesan Convention, and hear the stories of ministries throughout the year. Our Vestry slate for this year is Jim McDonald, Chuck McKain, and Karen Steele. Also, the Annual Meeting is a time for the priest of the Church to address the overarching questions of vision and leadership of the Church in th...

like so many ghosts convening in the hall floating through the walls the floor, the ceiling history makes itself known centuries mixed with decades time as permeable skin wrapped loosely as a dressing gown preparing us for forever 12/18/17

the honest truth people don't even like when others are not busy enough the honest truth we don't know how to handle our own frustratingly similar emotions the honest truth we forget that uniqueness and similarity are not opposites 12/6/17

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ's glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Second Sunday after the Epiphany, BCP 215) Every three years we hear the story of Jesus going to the wedding feast in Cana. The story from the gospel of John only comes up in the Epiphany season. It is known as the first of the miracles Jesus performs in showing who he is in the world. The other gospel writers did not include this story in their books, but it is an important part of the structure and overarching story of the gospel of John. The story is an interesting one. We never learn whose wedding it is, but it must have been someone well-known to Jesus' mother and her family. His mother has clout with t...

the gleaming look in your eyes belies the falsehood and shows in stated garb, the truth as such as it is in war where lies no justice, no just reward no righteousness in trade for death a single sigh, a headless doll lying on the bank of the pillaged village this is not the end, nor the beginning it is in fact, the messy middle 11/26/17

"Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen." (First Sunday after the Epiphany: The Baptism of our Lord, BCP 214) As we move into the season after Epiphany, the seasonal emphasis of Jesus as a baby in Christmas changes to seeing Jesus start his ministry as a young man. We will hear the stories of Jesus starting his ministry, in starting to show the world who he really is. This coming Sunday we will hear the story of Jesus being baptized by John in the Jordan River. In some ways this story is quite appropriate for the beginning of a New Year. Jesus starts out his new ministry, and we start a new year again. Both are the beginnings of journeys which will take us furthe...

the room is full of truths wandering through the minds of people in their walking sleep passing by unseen dust in the wind catch a breeze... and sneeze be aware your body may not like the truth when it enters in. 11/10/17

O God, by the leading of a star you manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (The Feast of the Epiphany, BCP 214) This coming Sunday is the Feast of the Epiphany, which starts the season of Epiphany. Epiphany is a season of seeing God, seeing Jesus as truly divine and truly human, seeing God in creation, seeing the Holy Spirit in others. While seeing is one of our five basic senses as humans, in the Christian tradition, we talk about seeing going deeper. We see with our hearts, especially when it comes to God. Being able to see beyond what is right in front of you is a gift from God. Having a vision of the future or of a ministry is a gift, not only personally, but also communally. In this season of Epiphany, I invite you into a season of visioning. Seeing bey...