“Being the Church”
“Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart and especially the hearts of the people of this land, that barriers which divide us…
“Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart and especially the hearts of the people of this land, that barriers which divide us…
In this edition of the newsletter you will find a summary of our 49th Diocesan Convention that took place last weekend at All Saints’ in…
I’ll be doing a lot of packing in the next few days. This weekend I pack for a visit to Huslia. I’ll be sure to include…
Someone once commented that the ministry of the Bishop of Alaska must be rather peripatetic. Well, I don’t know about that, but I sure…
Since 2000 the Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) have celebrated a concordat–a formal agreement, known as “Called To Common…
This weekend the Standing Committee will gather in Fairbanks for its annual pre-convention Face to Face Meeting. They have a busy agenda planned. The first item…
It didn’t take me long to learn an old shibboleth here in Fairbanks: How do you know when the Tanana Valley State Fair is…
I mentioned last week that I was able to enjoy a couple weeks of vacation time following the close of General Convention in Louisville,…
It is good to be home. I left Fairbanks June 20th to attend General Convention in Louisville, KY. I wish I could tell you anything…
The previous General Convention of the Episcopal Church (’22) adopted a resolution (A127) that established a Commission to study and report on the Episcopal…
This week marks the beginning of the 81st General Convention of the Episcopal Church in Louisville, KY. The Episcopal Diocese of Alaska will be represented…
Next week marks the beginning of the 81st General Convention of the Episcopal Church in Louisville, KY. The Episcopal Diocese of Alaska will be…
Next week the community of Pt. Hope is gathering to celebrate the gift of abundance. With thankful hearts and joyful spirits, they will participate…
This Sunday is the Day of Pentecost, the festal celebration of the descent of the Holy Spirit, sent as promised by Jesus, to transform…
“[As] he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.…
“Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and…
February 14 is Ash Wednesday this year. It is also Valentine’s Day, which at first strikes one as a rather odd pairing. I have…
The rubrics of the Book of Common Prayer state clearly that the service of Ash Wednesday, including the imposition of ashes, may be led…
With very little fanfare and publicity, “A Case for Love,” a film based on the writings and message of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, was…
Creating Positive Change Virginia Theological Seminary is proud to be a supporting partner of A Case for Love. With society more divided than…
I am attending the Province VIII House of Bishops meeting in Los Angeles this week and am writing this article on January 4, the…
Whether you are a fan of the William Kirkpatrick setting titled “Cradle Song” that appears in our hymnal (and the hymnals of the Church…
“Kindle Thy light within me, O God, that Thy glow may be spread over all of my life; yea indeed, that Thy glow may…
As an adult, and more so after my ordination, I have always struggled against the cultural norm to start celebrating Christmas the day after…
One of my family’s traditions starting from as far back in my childhood memories as I can recall is the joy of opening an…
For fans of the Rite I liturgy of Holy Eucharist, the title of this article will likely bring a smile. It is, of course, a…
I am writing this article from a hotel in Seattle where I am meeting with the Episcopal Church’s Commission on Resolution A127: a resolution…
“Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord,…
A big thank you to Holy Trinity, Juneau, and the many volunteers from St. Brendan’s who provided wonderful hospitality for Diocesan Convention. Let us…
Looking forward to our annual Diocesan Family Reunion next week in Juneau. I am praying for safe travel for all and for a spirit…
At my ordination as your bishop, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori presented me with a small, framed quotation from Archbishop Dom Helder Camara. It…
“Almighty God, you have so linked our lives one with another that all we do affects, for good or ill, all other lives: So…
I write this from Kotzebue where I am preparing to depart for Pt. Hope and a gathering of the Arctic Coast Deanery. It will be…
The term of office for the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church is 9 years. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s term will end at the…
Where else can I walk humbly with God than on the land–on this good earth? And how else can I act justly or love…
“Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? Will you strive for justice and peace among all people,…
The Season of Creation As the summer season unfolds in all of its grandeur (not to mention the buzz of its mosquitoes), I want…
“[Why] do you stand looking toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way…
“Easter is for All!” On of the best and most lasting Easter sermons was written in the late 4th century by John Chrysostom (the…
This Sunday, April 2, is known by two titles: Palm Sunday and The Sunday of the Passion. Before the 1979 Prayer Book (or Vatican…
I’m celebrating the Fourth Sunday in Lent in Haines, AK at St. Michael’s and All Angels. It is deeply refreshing to be back to visiting…
My Greetings from Camp McDowell in the Diocese of Alabama. I am here with the House of Bishops in prayer and retreat, in worship…
Most folks are aware of the traditional Lenten fasting practice of eating only fish on Fridays. But did you know that, according to Vatican…
To the Church, February 2nd is not about groundhogs, gophers, wombats, marmots, or any other winter weather predicting rodents. For the Church, February 2nd…
The Book of Common Prayer identifies the Epiphany, January 6, and the Sundays following through the Sunday before Ash Wednesday as “Epiphany Season” (BCP…
“After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before…
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s…
“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy…
Herod Antipas (aka Herod the Tetrarch and King Herod) was Caesar Augustus’ puppet ruler of Galilee when Jesus asked the crowds about John the…
It had been a while since I drove the Parks Highway from Anchorage to Fairbanks in November. But that is what I found myself doing…
Next week we celebrate Thanksgiving Day. I have always enjoyed Thanksgiving Day. Any holiday that has as its primary act of celebration eating a…
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12 Hard to believe that it…
At the end of October, I attended a meeting of the Joint Nomination Committee for the Election of the Presiding Bishop (JNCPB). It is…
“Who Will Be The the Next Presiding Bishop?” As October comes to a close, I find myself in Baltimore, MD attending a meeting of…
Friday and Saturday this week, I am excited to be part of a training program with ministers from our Interior Deanery Communities. Lay Ministers…
Thank you to everyone who has expressed interest in helping our Alaska communities recover from recent catastrophes. As of Sunday afternoon, I had reports…
In just a few short weeks, our 47th Diocesan Convention will convene. After two long years of the COVID-19 pandemic, our Convention theme this…
A nationwide poll commissioned by the Episcopal Church in 2021-22 revealed that 84% of all Americans (religious and non-religious combined) believe Jesus to…
Patricia and I attended Holy Eucharist at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, today. St. Paul’s is a glorious edifice-some say Christopher Wren’s crowning magnum opus.…
“Communion” “Whenever we face another, we see a reflection of God’s infinite love and glory.” “[The] church catholic declares that life is sacred and all…
“The View from Lambeth” That is a misleading title. Although Patricia and I have made it to the Lambeth Conference, the conference is no…
Heading to Lambeth This weekend Patricia and I begin our journey to England, specifically to Canterbury, where we will attend the Lambeth Conference. So…
A recent article in Episcopal News Service reported that Christ Episcopal Church in Pottstown, PA (Diocese of Pennsylvania) has received a zoning violation and…
“The Way of Love is the Church” This has been a season like no other season. While we continue to make our way through…
Here are some COVID 19 resources:
To the Beloved of Christ Jesus in the Diocese of Alaska: I give thanks for the living hope that binds us together in Christ…