There is no requirement for anyone to report the existence of trans kids or their parents in one of our Episcopal Churches or schools. The gov’s statement has no force of law. ALL people are welcome in churches of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas without fear – we offer only love. – Bishop C. Andrew Doyle, Bishop of the Diocese of Texas
“She searches for her own “tree with the lights in it,” what the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins described as “kingfishers catching fire,” to see beneath the recognition of objects as objects and instead to behold the spark within all creation.”
… let peace take root like the thistle
between the cracks in the sidewalk flags,
tenacious, impossible, lean, and fierce;
its bruised stalk you will not break,
nor extinguish the smoldering wick
of our sputtering prayers for peace
candles flickering in a hurricane.
“Look! In the eyes of your family
Listen to their stories
Feel their hands in yours
And open your arms for an embrace.”
In the distant future, the Church has become a footnote in earth’s history. Its one remaining cathedral serves more frequently as a tourist attraction than
“I am not just burning my mask however. I am using that as a symbol of transformation, a way to remind myself and those around me that the journey of Lent is preparing us for the beauty of Easter Sunday. So how will I accomplish this? This year, by creating artwork from the ashes.”
“I wish that throughout my middle years I had been more aware, so that I wasn’t now trucking pile after pile of things I don’t need to the dumpster and ultimately to the landfill. It’s sobering and embarrassing.”
This pandemic year has given me a new perspective on Emmanuel (God with us) for there are moments when the most raw and intimate connections are rooted in presence. There are times when grief is so over-whelming that there are no words. There are times when strength known in self and others can waver. There can even be moments when hope seems to vanish and only presence remains.
“The Chinese martyrs were women doing what they were convinced God wanted them to do and, with strong faith, faced death without cringing or wavering. Most of us will never face such persecution or death for our beliefs. Still, Jesus won’t let us simply skate along, acting as part-time or even pretend-to-be-Christians.”
The question of who chooses the next Archbishop of Canterbury was debated last week during the Church of England’s General Synod meeting. The proposal is