EpiscoGrrlApr 19, 2025
The “place of unknowing” is how the Rt. Rev. Deon Johnson (Bishop of Missouri) describes #HolySaturday in his #TheDisciplesWay reflection. I’ve never heard it put quite that way, however, I know the feeling very well. The place of unknowing or of uncertainty is the shoreline we walk when things feel the darkest—where earth & sea & sky are indistinguishable— & we feel as if we are alone in the universe. We struggle to get our bearings, to know which way to go. The silence is deafening & we struggle to hear anything else. Sometimes the wind steals our breath & pushes us around while the sea crashes, the sky threatens, & the ground beneath our feet is soft & sinks beneath us. This is a night of loneliness like the one the disciples faced after the crucifixion or Jesus’ felt in the garden of Gethsemane when he asked for this cup to pass from him. Yet, when we wake on Easter morning, he is risen & we look back on this night we see #Footprints in the sand where he carried us to new life.
EpiscoGrrlApr 18, 2025

On #GoodFriday my Lenten devotional #TheDisciplesWay from #ForwardMovement encourages attending worship services rather than providing a verse of Scripture to reflect on. This seems like an excellent opportunity to remind (or inform) everyone that funds collected today as part of the #Episcopal Church’s #GoodFridayOffering benefit the #Anglican Province of #Jerusalem & the #MiddleEast You can learn more about this historic partnership, now in it’s 103rd year! or make a donation online at: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/good-friday-offering/

“No matter how we understand the causes of violence in the #HolyLand we can surely agree that we must support our fellow Anglicans in alleviating the devastating #humanitariancrisis now unfolding in #Gaza ,” [Presiding Bishop Sean] Rowe said [in a recent statement regarding last week’s missile attack on the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem]

Good Friday Offering

The history of the Good Friday Offering reaches back to 1922 when, in the aftermath of World War I, The Episcopal Church sought to create new relationships with and among the Christians of the Middle East. From these initial efforts which focused on a combination of relief work and the improvement of ecumenical and Anglican […]

The Episcopal Church
EpiscoGrrlApr 17, 2025

On #MaundyThursday #TheDisciplesWay is reflecting on #TheLordsSupper (Matthew 26:26-29) Rev. Troy Menendez shares a few of the wonder-full #HolyCommunion experiences he has had & I admit, I envy him these experiences. My own have been far more pedestrian & quiet, quite probably because they have all been part of regular #Episcopal worship services.

Both share characteristics with the #LastSupper Matthew describes, particularly in that they occur in community of shared faith. The disciples must have felt something significant was afoot, as Rev. Menendez’ community seems to. At the same time, with the exception of Jesus’ words, it was just another meal like those celebrated weekly in my churches. This week, especially, we know what momentous changes are coming for the disciples. That is not usually the case when someone dies. Those gathered with Jesus could not have known what lay ahead for them anymore than we do today. We just trust in God that we will be together again.

EpiscoGrrlApr 16, 2025

Today’s verse (1 Peter 2:11a-25) in #TheDisciplesWay & the reflection by Rev. Hillary Raining strike a major chord with me. I’ve always read the story of Peter’s denials as a call to courage. Courage he lacked in the moment (as many of us do when confronted/put on the spot) but overcame his fears & established what became the #Christian church.

I never looked at it quite the way that Rev. Raining does. She sees it as an example of Peter abandoning his call & his #faith which is something many of us do. Peter did it during a time of great trial. Not everyone does. For many it seems less a time of persecution & more a time of selfishness (& perhaps age). Fortunately for the church, Peter returns relatively quickly. Not everyone does. I wandered far (& near) for decades before recommitting to my #Episcopal roots & I am still #discerning my call. Many childhood friends have wandered & not yet returned. Perhaps we all must go through such denial & separation in order to find our faith.

EpiscoGrrlApr 14, 2025
The theme of #HolyWeek in #TheDisciplesWay is #sharing & today’s verse (I John 3:14, 16-18) talks about how sharing with everyone is central to eternal life. The most pertinent verse is 17 which asks how God’s love abides in anyone possessing the world’s goods who refuses to help those in need. That is a potent question for the modern world where the wealth divide seems to be increasing with each passing day & so many justify their stinginess by citing the “prosperity Bible” It’s interesting that the reading omits verse 15 which states that those who hate do not have eternal life because so much of the selfishness I see around me & the world seems based on hate. “Those people” do not deserve my help, “I deserve to keep what I have because no one helped me” or “I want to be sure I’m only helping people who really need it” are common justifications for not sharing & hate underpins all of them. Answering the call to share today is an act of radical love few seem capable of.
EpiscoGrrlApr 12, 2025
Nunc dimittis means “now you are dismissing” in Latin & is often used in referring to today’s scripture reading: Luke 2:27-32 in #TheDisciplesWay Along with the reflection by Rev. Tyler Richards it calls readers to consider how faith & religious tradition are communicated & shared through generations. It is important to share our faith with others, however, it is not something many of us, especially #Episcopalians are comfortable doing. This week, #HolyWeek will see an influx of people into our churches, some of whom we only see this week, at Christmas, & maybe a wedding, baptism, or funeral. We celebrate their presence. What we don’t seem to do is really give them any reason to remain among us. This week is the heavy lifting of #Christianity culminating in Jesus’ resurrection on #Easter. And yet, I can’t help comparing regular church-goers to the disciples who fall asleep while Jesus struggles with his fate in the garden. We are not dismissed but called to share the wait with others.
EpiscoGrrlApr 11, 2025
Today’s verse (Psalm 84:1-3, 7-10) in #TheDisciplesWay is a song of Zion for one who makes a pilgrimage to the temple. In many ways these verses also express how I feel when I go to church. It doesn’t matter if I am going to church to worship, for a class, or a meeting. It doesn’t matter if I am alone or joining others. It doesn’t even matter if I am attending “my” church or going into a church I do not know. The feeling, the emotions, are very similar. I find peace in places of worship. The cool, dim, quiet is a balm to my spirit. Sometimes I think I could just stay there forever, thinking or reading about God & praying. I am not called to a life religious, yet the sense of being fulfilled in God’s house is always with me when I am at church. I have no idea what it means or whether anyone besides the Psalmist & I feel that way. I do know that in this time of tumult & confusion, I am called more & more to my #Episcopal churches where I find the peace, sustenance, & inspiration of God.
EpiscoGrrlApr 10, 2025
Today’s verse (Psalm 122:1-2, 6-9) in #TheDisciplesWay is about Jerusalem. I confess, I struggle a bit with biblical references to Jerusalem. They get all tangled up with my concept of modern city with the same name. Rev. Tyler Richards seems to have a similar problem because his reflection points to Jerusalem as an ideal as much as the physical place. Which works, to a degree, for both of us although today I find it vaguely unsatisfying. My NRSVUE study Bible indicates this is a Psalm about pilgrimage & something of a rhyming wordplay which got me wondering whether the journey isn’t to Jerusalem as much as Jerusalem is the pilgrim. My perception of this Psalm changes profoundly if the center of the 3 Abrahamic faiths is actually a journey in search of peace & understanding God’s presence in our lives & world. Jerusalem then is a metaphor for us & the manifestation of who we are in this moment. We are in desperate need of God’s help & love, if that is the case (& even if it’s not).
EpiscoGrrlApr 9, 2025
Is #StarTrek communist? That was the first question that popped into my head upon reading today’s reflection on (Acts 2:42, 44-46) in #TheDisciplesWay I’ve heard anecdotally that many of #Jesus teachings are being labeled as #liberal & #socialist I thought it was an exaggeration. To see such an anecdote in print is startling. I don’t know why, but I always felt like money not being a big thing in the future because we managed to find a way to ensure that everyone’s basic needs, including education & healthcare, were met was an obvious goal, especially for #Christians After all, our earliest community models, from Jesus & the Apostles/Disciples to current/historic religious orders to the pre-Deuteronomy tribes of Israel, all seem to exist this way. These communities are the ideal. Communities where people care for each other & share what they have good & bad. Isn’t that what we are called to? How did this basic concept get so twisted that we now see it as something to scorn & avoid?
EpiscoGrrlApr 8, 2025
This has been a rough year for me. I’ve managed to keep putting one foot in front of the other through it primarily because I was afraid that if I didn’t, I’d just disappear as though I never existed. Today’s verse (Psalm 43:3-5) in #TheDisciplesWay reminds me that simply enduring is not what God wants for me or for anyone. For months, I’ve sought solace (& honestly, just to stay busy) at church. This psalm calls me to seek joy. I’m not sure how, particularly when we’re heading into Holy Week, which is probably the most stressful time of the year for parish administrators who dabble with A/V. I’m also afraid to even look for joy because it doesn’t seem to last for me. And losing it hurts. And yet…the call persists. To find & experience joy in worship when I am working the service not just attending it. How? I know I’ve carried a lot of luggage into this season. I know I need to put it down. It doesn’t seem not define me. I no longer need it. #Joy calls. I’ve forgotten how to answer.