Greetings! I am a wordsmith nerd. I love words, their origins, how they are used, and the impact they can make. My brain thinks in letters and punctuation. I can’t help it. I start my day reading a bible verse followed by exploring the Merriam-Webster word of the day. And can you guess what my…
My local is your global and your local is my global which means global mission and local mission is interrelated. They are different sides of the same coin. It is being God’s ambassador on earth. This past year has been very fulfilling for me personally and in ministry. I am so pleased and encouraged to…
“Give thanks with a grateful heart, Give thanks to the Holy One, Give thanks, because He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son…” You may recognize this text from this decades old Praise Chart by Henry Smith titled “Give Thanks.” Written in 1978 when Smith (who was born and raised in Crossnore, North Carolina), just graduated from…
As I begin to settle in and get to know the wonderful staff, parents, and children, I have been thinking to myself that there couldn’t have been a better time to start than this month. My first couple of weeks have been a balancing act of becoming acquainted with the day-to-day activities of the preschool…
All of Who We Are What does it look like for humans to offer anything back to the God who made us? As intimidating as this invitation sounds, our tradition has a robust imagination for this practice of offering ourselves freely and fully to God. In the Rite One eucharistic liturgy, we say: “And here we…
Let not the needy, O Lord be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor be taken away. (BCP, 98) Nine months ago, was roughly September 1st, the first day I began my tenure as an associate rector at St. John’s. That day I felt both excited and overwhelmed. I remember someone from the parish…
Awesome Arts Adventures Camp The cost per camper is $75 **ALL campers will receive a performance t-shirt. **Each day our camp rehearsals will include a break for snacks. The camp dates are: Monday, July 22nd through Friday, July 26th, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.; with a musical performance on Saturday, July 27th at 2:00 p.m. Camp…
Well, my sabbatical time is fast approaching, and I am so grateful that our Episcopal Churches make this a priority for their clergy, and that St. John’s has made it a priority, too, by “saving up” over the last several years and inviting special gifts from all of you. While the church as an institution…
Following the Bishop’s Lead In early January of this year Mother Sarah read a letter from Bishop Rodman directed to all congregations in the Dioceses of North Carolina. In the letter he asked us to… “engage in the work of racial reparations and restitution, beginning with an intentional process of truth-telling and reckoning. This engagement…
Favorites…colors, foods, songs, places, people…consider Biblical figures…who comes to mind? Moses, John, Abraham, Ruth, Josiah? Joe who??? With historical accounts in two separate Old Testament books—II Kings 22-23 and II Chronicles 34-35—the story of Josiah, a Judean king who reigned for 31 years—may not be a prominent name on “favorites” lists. Though a 3+ decade…