A Positively Poetic Priest

  One of the things we do in the Worship Together service is teach the children words for the littlest children, its very basic words, because they are just beginning to talk for the older children, it is teaching them bigger words, Like the special words we use for the cup and plate we use for our meal with Jesus Do you all know what those words are? This is a (chalice) this is a (Paten). Well done. Can you say, conversation? Let me hear you say, conversation. Do you know what a conversation is? Raise your hand, How many of you think you know what a conversation is? Learning how to have a conversation is an important aspect of socialization for children, and adults. Which I know all of you are rolling your eyes and thinking to yourself, "Mother Elizabeth, I'm ...(insert random number, you can be honest with yourself) years old, I know how to have a conversation." Hmmm....  In our recent clergy meeting with the Bishop, she told us  That we need to take the summer time as ...

Good Morning! Welcome to St. John's at Home. In our denomination we love our national slogan, "The Episcopal Church welcomes you." But what does it mean to really welcome someone? Jesus pulls no punches in the Gospel passage from Matthew today.  Its two sentences long and he says the word welcome as a strong active verb  six times!  There is no mistaking the theme of these two sentences.  Welcoming.  Apparently welcoming has a cascading effect, especially when welcoming Jesus. When we welcome each other, we welcome Jesus,  and when we welcome Jesus, we welcome God. A three for one type of deal. Because of this cascading effect, being welcoming, showing hospitality is a discipleship trait.  When we are welcoming in the name of Jesus, we welcome Jesus and God. When we welcome others, even strangers, we are welcoming Jesus and God. But what does it mean to really welcome someone? Jesus doesn't set the bar very high. No, its fairly low. "Whoever gives even...

Sara Miles, in the face of resistance to her proposal that they start a food pantry at St. Gregory's, wrote the parish a letter. She wrote, "The first time I came to the Table at St. Gregory's, I was a hungry stranger. Each week since then, I've shown up -- undeserving and needy -- and each week, someone's hands have broken bread and brought me into communion. Because of how I've been welcomed and fed in the Eucharist, I see starting a food pantry at church not as an act of 'outreach' but one of gratitude. To feed others means acknowledging our own hunger and at the same time acknowledging the amazing abundance we're fed with by God." (116)