A Positively Poetic Priest

stated simply a turn of phrase an old cliche for those who care with conscious bare apologizing for others' sins daunting to change ignorant to mend a peace offering when all you have in exchange is vulnerability making its way from eyes to eyes (5/28/17)

2016 has been quite the year. It has been up – with the Summer Olympics, huge breakthroughs in medicine which has allowed more people with ALS, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease to live healthier and longer lives, with more equal rights for people all over the world being recognized. It has been down – with the many police and terrorist shootings, with the deaths of some major celebrity figures, with confusing political movements happening all over the world. The social and global media agencies are using their powers to create intensity and stress about certain problems and to cover up other problems. With all of this going on in the world, some people may be wondering how Christmas is even relevant anymore. Yet, exactly because of our crazy world, Christmas is more important than ever. Christmas is important because it is about a beginning. Not an end or a middle, but about a new beginning. Christmas is important because it is about vulnerability. Not hiding or shaming, but ab...

The Problem of Renewal Otherwise known as Surrender The brownness of the fields and the grayness of the sky lack the vibrancy of real color fading purposeless expanses of God's earth wishing for a second chance revival the inner dark abyss scaring all those who know themselves cowards chasing every scared mask wearing party lover yet never moving anywhere because it lurks inside as real being wishing for a second chance revival the bent up beat up broken down body waster lying drunk on the cracked curb of Bourbon Street among the litter of the bedazzled fiberglass parade wishing for a second chance revival wishing for a second chance revival escapism born of broken armor lacking luster the choice is known and still avoided being a human renewed is vulnerability unconquerable Epilogue being a human renewed is vulnerability unconquerable because the dream and wish are quite the same to be a being fully worth being and known requires letting vulnerability ...

Proper 22 B 4 October 2015 Eternal God, heavenly Father, we are grateful for all the gifts you have given us, even when those gifts are seen as weakness, for in you weakness is turned to strength and darkness is turned to light, with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.  One of my coping mechanisms when I feel overwhelmed is to clear off a wide flat surface, my dining room table for instance, and put down all the things I feel overwhelmed about on it. I write sticky notes of what my worries are and I put them on the table as well. I spread everything out so that I can see it and find ways to move forward. As I was thinking about this morning, I got a little overwhelmed. So, I want you to envision a clean table with me.  First, today is St. Francis of Assisi day and later we will be blessing the pets of the parish. We will put a little statute of St. Francis on our table. Second, today is part of our stewardship campaign. Put that pledge card on the table. Third, to...