Encouraging, challenging and equipping congregations to thrive spiritually and be apostles for reconciliation
From the General Presbyter Bad Karaoke On my recent vacation to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, I reserved an oceanfront condo located within a resort. From my balcony, I could hear children playing in the swimming pool, people laughing while dining outdoors and….bad karaoke! Okay, there were a few people with good voices but for the […]
From the General Presbyter A colleague recently shared something she heard, that went something like this: “COVID has provided an off ramp for church goers.” Yes, yes it has. And many of you are frustrated that attendance is down, sometimes, way down. I have total respect for those who do not feel safe in large […]
From the General Presbyter I want to first address the faithful pastors in this Presbytery of Baltimore. Please hear me; there is no way you can possibly carry the heavy burdens this world has put on us in these violent and terrible times. Words often fail in the face of today’s shooting in Texas. There are not […]
Breathe on us, breath of God and fill us with life anew. God, Divine Love, we come to you anxious, fearful, sorrowful, and angry. We are surrounded by hatred, violence, greed, racism, war, disease, and systems of oppression. The air we breathe is filled with the soot of uncontrollable wildfires and the ground beneath us […]
From the General Presbyter “With your whiskey and your water, your sugar and your tea. What are all these crazy questions you’re asking me?” Mama Told Me Not To Come, Three Dog Night I have a colleague that always says, “you have not because you ask not.” When the women went to the tomb to […]
From the General Presbyter Black History Month In 1807, the Presbytery of the Union Synod of Tennessee recommended to the General Assembly in Lexington, Kentucky, that a “slave should be licensed to preach among colored people.” Enter the Rev. John Gloucester, who founded the First African Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia in 1807. I guess that […]
From the General Presbyter Going Back to the Way it Was I doubt any member of our Presbytery intends to return to “the way it was” once the pandemic is over. The time away from church, brought to you by COVID-19, has many evaluating and re-evaluating their call to ministry, their regular participation as congregation […]
From the General Presbyter Happy New Year!! I believe I speak for us all when we pray that 2022 will be a safer, healthier year. As I bring you this greeting, I also bring with it some protocols we need to put in place for the next two months as we navigate the Omicron Variant […]
Choose Insanity In 2017 Howard County Maryland mailed out bumper stickers that read “Choose Civility,” as a response to behaviors emerging across the country. The other day, I saw one that read “Choose Insanity!” After I nearly wrecked my car laughing, I thought about the deep social and theological significance of these words and would […]
From the General Presbyter There is a sign in front of the Episcopal Diocesan office that says, “Stay Calm, Stay Connected, Stay Church.” I love it! My favorite part of this message lies in its present tense – “stay”. It does not presume to identify calm behaviors, or assert how to be connected or even […]
